In Pieces
by DawnJuan
Summary: Emily and Alison were high school sweethearts. They completed college and were building their lives together. The two thought they could make it through anything until one disagreement turned their whole world upside down. Sequel to What I've Done but it can stand alone for those who haven't read it.
1. Chapter 1

**This story can stand alone for those who didn't read the first installment, but this is the sequel to What I've Done that I promised months ago. I took some time off to focus on school and got a little distracted along the way but I finally finished this story. It consists of twelve chapters unless I change my mind and add in a few more, which I have been known to do. Before I started posting this I wanted to be completely through with every aspect, including editing. That way I would have no excuses for slacking on my updates. I am happy to say that it is finally ready and I hope you enjoy this story. Feel free to let me know what you think and thanks for reading.**

Emily and Alison were in love. It was hard to say which one was crazier about the other because, to be honest, both women were completely whipped. Emily had always loved the blonde and it took some time for Alison to come to terms with the fact that she had strong feelings for another woman but in the end, she couldn't deny it. She had to be with Emily and it had been the best decision she had ever made.

The two didn't make things official until they were seniors in high school. Everyone already knew Emily was a lesbian, so it was easier for her to announce that they were dating. However, took a lot of courage on Alison's part. She never told Emily how truly afraid she had been, but she knew she needed to do it if things were going to work between them. It had been worth it because being with Emily was what made Alison the happiest woman alive, according to her anyway.

They had spent six years together. six long and happy years by each other's sides and Alison was fully prepared to spend the rest of her life with the brunette. Emily was just as eager to stay with Alison. There wasn't another soul on the face of this planet that could compete with her girlfriend. The two truly complemented each other in every aspect of their lives. There were only two things that they couldn't agree on, and it wasn't something simple or easy to overlook.

"I'm sorry, Alison. I just don't see what the big deal is with getting married or having children." Emily said almost with a laugh.

"It is a big deal to me, Emily. I want to show you off to the whole world and I want to have a family with you." Alison reasoned, growing a bit frustrated with her girlfriend.

"You can show me off. I am still yours." Emily argued, not finding any sense in Alison's words.

"That's not the only reason I want to marry you. It is a big deal to be committed to someone forever."

"You're right. It is a big deal. That's why I am willing to stay with you for the rest of my life." Emily was growing frustrated that Alison couldn't see things from her point of view.

"If you are willing to stay with me forever then why not prove it by getting married? And you may be willing to be by my side forever, but you don't want to have children with me." Alison was beyond frustrated with her lover.

"I don't have to prove myself to you when I have done nothing to break your trust. I am with you because I want to be and that is that. So what if I don't want kids? You can still have one." Emily said, voice starting to rise.

"My whole life I have dreamed of having a beautiful wedding, running off into the sunset and having kids. I want that with you, Emily. I want to be your wife and the mother of your children. I don't want to go to some clinic and get inseminated only to raise a child by myself." Alison's voice began to tremble as she got emotional.

"Marriage is just a piece of paper, Alison. It will not make our relationship any more magical or important. It will be the exact same. And you won't have the child alone. The girls and I can help you."

"I guess I am just a little more traditional than you are. Or maybe you just don't take us seriously enough." Alison said, voice growing weak.

"Ali, of course, I take you seriously. I have been with you for six years and I will gladly spend the next eighty with you, assuming we live that long."

"Well, maybe I don't believe that," Alison said as her voice grew even softer.

"You don't believe that I love you?" Emily said with a scoff because to her it was ridiculous.

"If you did then the thought of marrying me wouldn't have you so angry. If you were honestly in love with me and happy to spend the rest of our lives together then you would be happy to marry me. You wouldn't want me to raise a child by myself. You would want to share that with me." Alison said as she fought back tears.

"I'm not angry that you want to marry me. I'm getting frustrated with the entire situation." Emily said as she felt herself getting choked up as well.

"I think I'm going to go," Alison said as she stood from her place on their sofa to gather her purse and jacket. "You obviously will never take us seriously. We want different things and since we can't reach a compromise then we should just call it quits."

"You're leaving me? Because I won't marry you or have children with you?" Emily asked in disbelief.

"If that's how you want to look at it then fine. Whatever you need to tell yourself." Alison said as the tears began to fall.

"Ali, please don't go," Emily begged as her own tears began to spill.

"There's no point in staying. You don't take this relationship seriously, so why should I waste any more of my time." Alison said as she slid her shoes on.

"Please don't go. I love you so much. I need you, Ali." Emily croaked out as she fought back a sob.

She honestly felt as though her world was falling apart but she couldn't bring herself to agree with Alison when it came to marriage or babies. She honestly didn't see the point.

"Em, I love you. I love you so much, but I can't be with you if you can't do something this simple. Marriage isn't just a piece of paper to me and you won't even try to understand that. One day you may change your mind. One day you may meet the love of your life and maybe then you will want to get married. Maybe then you will feel for her the way I feel for you now. But clearly, we aren't meant to be. I thought you were my forever but apparently, I just haven't met the right person yet." When Alison finished speaking Emily literally felt her heart turn to dust.

She had never felt so broken as the day that Alison walked out of their house, out of her life. Emily was hurt, sad, and angry. To Alison, Emily didn't love her enough to get married and build a family. To Emily, Alison didn't love her enough because she was able to leave her over something trivial. The fact that they couldn't see eye to eye is what tore their relationship apart. Both women felt like they had said enough the night of their breakup, which is why they didn't speak when Alison moved her stuff out. She ended up moving back in with her parents, leaving Emily in their apartment. The same apartment they moved into after they graduated college. Emily continued to live in the apartment for a month after the breakup, but the memories were too much for her to handle. The place seemed to be haunted by the blonde and Emily wasn't able to get any sleep.

Every time she woke up she felt reality crashing down on her when she rolled over to see that Alison's side of the bed still hadn't been slept on.

There was a point where she thought about caving in and marrying the blonde, but she knew it was probably too late. She knew she couldn't do that to Alison because to Emily, she wouldn't take a wedding seriously. However, Alison was serious about leaving her. Emily also didn't want to just cave in and marry her because she honestly didn't believe in marriage. People could fall in love and stay together forever without having some government-approved document and Emily felt that she was going against her beliefs to please someone else. Both women were placed in a difficult position and Emily knew that she would never be at peace living in that same apartment. Not even in the same town.

Every time Emily left her home she kept her eyes open, constantly searching for a glimpse of blonde hair and she knew it wasn't healthy. A part of her was desperate to see Alison while the other half dreaded it. There was no way she was going to be able to spend the rest of her life like that, so she had a very difficult decision to make.

Emily spent several hours on the internet looking up various job listings. She had acquired her degree, which did broaden her range of job possibilities. She applied for jobs all over the country. One in California, two in Texas, and several in random states across the Midwest. Emily was going to need a fresh start if she was going to have to build a life without Alison.

It took several days before Emily heard back from prospective employers but there was one in particular that took an interest in her and wanted her to start immediately, which is how Emily ended up moving to Texas. It took her a few short days to load up a U-Haul with the help of her parents and friends. She took the first available flight while her father agreed to drive her belongings from Pennsylvania to Texas. Emily had hoped to see Alison before she made the big move. She had wanted to call her or even stop by her house, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. A part of her wished that her friends would tell Alison and that she would come running and ask her to stay but that never happened and soon Emily found herself a mile in the air as the plane carried her across the country.

~X~X~X~X~X~

It had been three years. Three long and empty years since Emily packed her belongings and never looked back. She built a life for herself in San Antonio and made a few great friends in the process. The job she originally took when she moved to Texas ended up playing out after a year, but she found herself managing at a gym where she taught swim classes to all age groups. She even did one on one training for those looking to compete on a team.

Emily loved her job and the pay was better than she expected, which is why she ended up staying in San Antonio after the first company she worked for went bankrupt. She contemplated going back to Rosewood at that point, but Emily knew she left for a reason, so she quickly crossed that idea off her list. She only made a trip back to Rosewood once in those three years and it was almost too much for her to bear.

During her trip, Emily drove past Alison's childhood home on her way to her parents and felt an emptiness in her heart. She thought back to all the memories they had built in that house. All the times she and Alison had been intimate in that pink bedroom on the second floor. Emily had to quickly wipe away the lone tear that trailed down her cheek.

She wondered if Alison was still living there or if she had her own place. She wondered if the blonde was seeing someone else because Emily knew she herself hadn't been able to. A year later and she hadn't even kissed another person. Not that people hadn't tried but Emily simply wasn't willing to move on. Not yet at least. The entire visit had been too much for her. Too much stress. Too much pain.

She thought of Alison the entire time, walking around like a zombie which her mother was quick to notice. When her parents dropped her off at the airport her mom pulled her aside and whispered while hugging her. "Next time we will come to you. I know this was supposed to be a happy visit, but I can tell it's too much for you. You haven't been my normal Emmy this entire trip and I don't want to see you go through this again."

Emily was thankful for her mother. She did want to see them but coming home had reversed the progress she had been making and it took weeks before she was back to her normal self again, which was only half of the person she used to be. For two years after that Emily's parents always came to her. She honestly never planned to return to Rosewood ever again, until she received something in the mail. Something that made her heart stop and crumble all over again.

She immediately recognized the loopy handwriting on the card to be Alison's. She tore open the envelope and removed a wedding invitation. There was a picture of Alison in a gorgeous dress standing next to a dark-haired man. The inside of the card informed Emily that there would be a wedding between Alison DiLaurentis and Elliott Rollins in two months.

Emily sat down on her sofa and blankly stared at the invitation, completely lost. She knew Alison would move on. Who wouldn't want to be with the gorgeous blonde? It was just a blow to her chest to have to have to see it. She wasn't sure why Alison would even invite her. Sure, they had been best friends before they were in a relationship, but they hadn't spoken in three years since the breakup.

Obviously, Alison had gotten over her, and she probably assumed that Emily had as well. She wasn't even sure if she would attend the wedding or not. She didn't want to be rude, but she also wasn't sure if her heart could take it. Emily looked at the beautiful, smiling blonde on the front of the invitation and felt herself begin to sob.

It had been three long years and her heart had yet to heal. It had yet to stop yearning for her first love. She was terrified that she would always want Alison, but it apparently wasn't meant to be. Her ex was meant to become Mrs. Alison Rollins and Emily was meant to stand back and watch it happen. At least he could give her the life she wanted, unlike Emily. He could give her a wedding and even children, which is something Emily had been too stubborn to do herself.

Emily had a lot of regrets about the past, but it was too late to focus on them. It was too late to change anything. Emily tossed the invitation across the room and picked up her phone, dialing the number for her old friend, Hanna. After three rings the blonde answered cheerfully "Hello!"

"Hey, Han." Emily croaked.

"Em, what's wrong?" Hanna asked, her voice losing its joyous tone.

"I just got a wedding invitation." Emily choked out as her tears began to fall freely.

"I just got mine too," Hanna whispered. "I'm so sorry, Em. You don't have to go."

"Of course I do," Emily said before taking a deep breath. "She invited me. I can't just not go."

"No one would blame you if you didn't." Hanna reasoned with her heartbroken friend.

"I just think I need to. Maybe it would give me some closure to see her being happy."

"Or it could break you apart. Emily, please don't torture yourself." Hanna pleaded.

"I know you will be going with Caleb, but can you please stay by my side the entire time. I need someone to keep me steady." Emily requested with a barely audible voice.

"Of course I will, Em. I am always there for you. You're still my best friend." Hanna said with a sad smile that Emily couldn't see.

"Thanks, Hanna. I have a lot to think about so I'm going to go. I just needed to talk to someone for a minute." Emily said as she reached for a box of tissues on her coffee table.

"Call me anytime, alright?"

"You too. Love you." Emily said before clearing her throat.

"Love you, Em."

After disconnecting the call, Emily walked across the room to retrieve her laptop and the invitation that had landed on the floor. She checked the date and booked a flight a week in advance of the wedding date. There was no way she could miss Alison's big day. The blonde would always be important to her and she clearly wanted her to come or else she wouldn't have invited her. It couldn't have been an easy decision for the blonde to make so Emily wasn't going to brush it off like it was nothing. She was going to that wedding even if it killed her.

Emily had cried until her throat was raw and her voice was hoarse, but she needed to tell her mother that she was coming home. Instead of calling she opted to text the older Fields woman instead.

"Hi, mom. I am coming home in two months. Will be staying for a few weeks. Alison invited me to her wedding."

Emily hadn't even put her phone down before it was vibrating with a response from her mother.

"I just got my invitation earlier today. Are you sure about this?"

"No, but I am coming anyway." Emily quickly typed out.

"I wasn't sure if I should go or not," Pam replied.

"I need all the support I can get. I'll have the girls, but it would be nice to have you by my side as well." Emily would always need her mother.

"I'll be your plus one. We can leave if it's too much for you."

"Thanks, mom."

Emily placed her phone down and stared at the ceiling. She really needed to send Alison an RSVP for the wedding, but it would have to wait until another night. She let her thoughts consume her for a moment before she walked into her kitchen in search of a bottle of wine. Once she removed the cork, Emily drank directly from the bottle, completely ignoring the glasses in her cabinets. She dragged herself onto her back patio and stretched out on the swing. She steadily consumed the contents of the bottle while staring up at the stars, enjoying the way she was swaying back and forth.

The swimmer remembered many nights she and Alison would sit on their porch. They would spend hours looking at the stars, barely speaking. They were just happy to be tangled in each other's arms. Now, the only thing Emily was cuddling was a nearly empty bottle of wine. She relaxed and drank until the very last drop passed her lips. She clumsily placed the bottle down, knocking it over in the process and watching as it rolled away. Her limbs were too heavy to chase the object. Emily simply locked her eyes on it and stared, expecting it to do something, anything but it remained motionless.

"What am I going to do?" Emily called out to no one in particular. "I can't handle this."


	2. Chapter 2

It was Emily's first day back in Rosewood and already she felt out of place. Sure, it had been her home for the majority of her life but now she felt like an outsider. Like the rest of the town was in on a secret and she was left in the shadows making countless guesses, which always ended up being wrong. She knew she didn't belong in Rosewood anymore. That is exactly why she was second guessing making the decision to come home. Her first night back in Rosewood was great. She was excited to be able to spend time with both of her parents. The timing was perfect because her dad was actually home, which was one of the major factors she had to consider when choosing whether to come back. Emily was somewhat lonely during the day because her parent still had to work. Though her father wasn't currently deployed, he still got roped into doing something job-related and unfortunately, she was the first of her friends to arrive in town. Other than Alison, who Emily was still too nervous to see.

Instead, she was left alone, which is how Emily found herself walking around downtown Rosewood, wanting to see some familiar sights but also making a note of the differences. She couldn't help it as she entered the familiar cafe and ordered her old favorite, an Americano. The Brew was just as she remembered with only a few changes in decor and some unfamiliar faces working behind the counter. She took the drink to go and window shopped as she walked past some new businesses. Emily noticed many familiar faces, which happily smiled at her and several faces she had never seen before. It was a perfect mixture of old and new. There was always something to surprise her while at the same time something to comfort her.

She used to know every person in Rosewood. Everyone did, but no one thought anything of it. That was just how it was when you lived in Rosewood. It was one of those towns where everyone knew everything about each other. Secrets didn't last long in this town except for one. She managed to keep her sexuality a secret from her mother for quite some time. Unless her mother already knew and was in a state of denial. Either way, when Emily finally told her, the woman definitely seemed surprised.

Emily thoughtfully sipped her drink as she continued the tour of her hometown. She stumbled upon a tailor's shop who specialized in wedding gowns and bridesmaid's dresses. There were a few in the window that looked lovely on the mannequins but none as lovely as the woman inside the building. Emily lowered her drink and stared in awe as the tailor did her job ensuring that the dress fit her client. Without thinking, Emily entered the dress shop causing the bell on the door to sound.

"I'll be with you in just a moment, dear." The middle-aged woman called out.

However, Emily wasn't there to inquire about a dress. She couldn't take her eyes off the soon-to-be bride who had yet to notice her presence.

"I told you it won't zip." The blonde said with a panic filled voice.

The tailor simply smiled and began assuring the woman. "Not to worry. I've had women who were so stressed before their wedding day that they stopped eating and the dress became too large. I've had women who stress eat and the dress became too small. I've had every situation you can think of. Don't worry, Alison. Your dress will be perfect for your big day. You have my word."

She saw the blonde visibly relax as the woman circled her with a measuring tape, writing a few numbers down on a notepad before measuring another body part. Emily stared from across the room and knew she had never seen a more beautiful sight. Alison DiLaurentis in a wedding gown almost made her heart stop beating. She felt guilty when she realized that this is what she tried to deprive Alison of. Emily watched as the woman disappeared behind a curtain into the back room, knowing this was her moment to approach the blonde. However, she didn't have a chance before the young woman turned on her pedestal and immediately spotted the brunette. Alison gasped, and Emily felt her legs slowly carrying her closer to the bride-to-be. She was nervous but her body seemed to be operating on autopilot.

"Em," Alison whispered as she stared in disbelief.

"God, Ali. You're so beautiful." Emily whispered as she felt her throat tightening. That wasn't the first thing Emily wanted to say to her ex-lover but the moment she opened her mouth it simply fell out.

She reached up and lightly trailed her fingertips along the bodice of the dress, before resting her hand on it. She couldn't help herself and Alison either didn't mind or was too shocked to stop her. Alison had imagined seeing Emily again. She pictured yelling at her, crying, or ignoring her completely. However, now that they were face to face all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around the other woman. She had spent a lot of time missing Emily, not only as a lover but as a friend as well.

Alison rested her hands on Emily's biceps and stared at her face while the tanned woman studied the dress. She was afraid to look into the blonde's eyes but was forced to when two hands rested on her face, tilting her head up. Usually, Emily was taller but with Alison standing on a small platform, she had a few inches on the brunette. Emily looked up and noticed the other woman's eyes were glossed over, the same as her own.

"Emily," Alison spoke after clearing her throat before resting their foreheads together, allowing a tear to trail down her silky-smooth cheek. "I didn't think you would come."

"I couldn't stay away." Emily rasped out. "You're going to be a gorgeous bride, Ali," Emily said as she felt her own tears beginning to fall.

The woman opened the curtain to enter the front room, pausing when she saw the two women having an emotional conversation. She slowly turned around, deciding to give them a moment together.

"I want to be mad at you, but I can't yet. I'm just so happy to see you," Alison said as she wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck.

Emily returned the embrace and felt herself choke on a sob before attempting to collect herself. Alison rested her cheek on top of the brunette's head, allowing a few tears to land on the silky, raven locks. Emily sniffled and pulled away, wiping her eyes as Alison did the same. After taking a moment to collect herself Emily blurted out something else that she hadn't intended to.

"Are you truly happy?" She asked, shocking the blonde and herself as well.

"That's a loaded question," Alison said with a laugh.

"It's yes or no," Emily whispered, not sure why she even asked that question.

"Yes, I am. I've always dreamed of having a beautiful wedding. I'm excited and nervous." Alison admitted while staring at Emily.

"You deserve to be happy. I'm glad you're getting everything I couldn't give you." Emily choked out in a broken voice.

Alison was angered by the fact that Emily stood in front of her looking like a victim when, in reality, it was the brunette's fault they didn't work out.

"Don't... Because you could have. You just wouldn't... But it's for the best. I was meant to be with Elliott, so it worked out the way it was supposed to." Alison said as she straightened up, suddenly feeling a little cold toward the other woman and Emily was quick to notice her sudden change in behavior.

Alison knew what she said was going to hurt Emily and in a way, she was glad, though a part of her instantly felt guilty. Clearly there were many emotions swirling around in both women. Alison honestly didn't know which feeling to act on first. She was happy to know that Emily would fly across the country just for her. She was angry that Emily had allowed their relationship to fall apart. She was still hurt because Emily had demolished her heart and even after several years she still hadn't completely healed.

"I, um, I should probably get going. I'll see you around, alright?" Emily said as she took a step back and picked up her forgotten cup of coffee, not ready to deal with Alison's anger that was clearly swirling behind her blue eyes.

"Yeah. Bye, Em," Alison whispered at Emily's retreating figure.

Alison sighed when Emily left the shop but before she could really process the previous events the tailor entered the room carrying a box of needles and various other objects.

"Alright, dear. Let's get you out of this dress. I've got your measurements and I'll have your dress ready in just a few days. I'll call you when it's ready and you can come try it on again." The woman said as she reached her hand out, helping Alison off the platform.

Alison politely thanked the woman and walked back into the changing room. She stared at herself in the full-length mirror, suddenly not feeling so enthusiastic about the dress. It was beautiful and absolutely perfect but now she felt a little off. Seeing Emily again was messing with her head and she needed to clear her mind, but she couldn't help it as her thoughts began to wander. She wondered what her dress would have looked like if Emily hadn't been so opposed to marriage and children. Would she have picked this same dress? She imagined their wedding and how pretty Emily would be in her own dress. She often wondered what her life would have been like if they hadn't been so stubborn. If Emily hadn't been afraid of marriage and a family. If she herself hadn't been so adamant about a wedding and children.

Alison didn't think that was something anyone should have to compromise. She didn't think she should have to throw away two of her childhood dreams because the woman she loved couldn't get over herself. Which is exactly why Alison would be walking down the aisle to meet someone else. To marry someone else. To go on a honeymoon with someone else. To grow old and build a life with someone else.

Alison believed that life took you exactly where you needed to be, and she was okay knowing that at least she would end up having her dream wedding. That she was with a good person who loved her and wanted to give her the world. She could sleep well knowing she was on the same page as the person she was with and that they actually had a future together. There were going to be no bitter surprises from her relationship with Elliott. When she first started dating him she went ahead and laid everything out in the open. She needed to ensure that he would want to have children someday. That he would happily marry her when the time was right. Together, they shared all their hopes for their future together and surprisingly, there were no disagreements on anything major.

Elliott was very laid back and was happy to give Alison anything she wanted. He didn't care where their honeymoon was, Alison choose the location and he instantly agreed. He didn't care about the wedding details, Alison had the final say on all of it. In his mind, he was just happy to be with her, so everything else was just a minor detail compared to the overall picture.

Even if he hadn't agreed to all the small details, it wouldn't have been a big deal to Alison. She was just happy that the person she was building a life with wanted all the major things that she did. Alison was somewhat bitter that she couldn't have that with Emily. She was bitter that she wasted six years with the other woman before realizing they weren't going to work. When it came to Emily, Alison had deep pools of bitterness churning inside of her, but it was easy to forget them with the other woman being across the country. However, seeing her ex-lover had stirred her old bitter feelings and suddenly, Alison wasn't feeling so great.

X~X~X~X~X~X~X

Emily continued walking around town, her coffee had already turned cold, but she mindlessly sipped at it anyway. She didn't expect to see Alison so soon and it was overwhelming now that she was alone. Thoughts whirled around in her head, the most prominent one being how stunning Alison looked. That is what Emily had given up. That is what she tried to deny the other woman. She felt guilty because she knew this was exactly what the blonde wanted, and she could have easily given it to her, but she didn't. Alison looked like an angel in her white gown and Emily felt her heart breaking at how beautiful she was.

She approached the nearest trash bin and tossed her cup in as she continued wandering the streets of Rosewood. She felt her hands trembling as the anxiety of the situation began to consume her. It had been difficult to see the other woman, but she knew the worst was yet to come. Emily didn't know how she would be able to compose herself as she watched the other woman walk down the aisle. It would be the worst thing she ever had to endure but she couldn't skip the wedding. She came all the way from Texas just to attend the wedding, she couldn't back out now. She also couldn't miss seeing Alison during one of the happiest moments of her life, even if Emily didn't play a part in that joy. With a deep sigh, Emily headed in the direction of her rental car, knowing she needed to get home before she found herself in a bar sipping on something much stronger than wine.

She made a promise to herself that she wouldn't spend the entire trip in a drunken stupor just because she couldn't handle the fact that Alison had truly moved on. She was going to have to be an adult and figure out another way to cope with the stress and pain. That didn't mean that alcohol was entirely off limits but with the way Emily was feeling at that exact moment, she knew it would be a bad idea. There would be no way possible that she could pace herself or even cut herself off when she had too much. That is why she really needed her friends to hurry and return to Rosewood. They could keep her distracted and offer her some form of comfort. They would also be able to stop her from going overboard.

One of the major things she missed while living in Texas was the fact that the only time she ever got to speak to her friend was through a phone. Sure, they could video chat and at least see each other but it was never the same. She had friends in Texas but none she shared her problems with. None of them knew about her heartbreak over Alison or even why she moved so far from home. Texas was a fresh start for her but that didn't mean that her demons didn't follow her.

Emily drove back to her parent's house in complete silence. She knew that she needed a distraction of some sort, but she couldn't bring herself to even turn on the radio. Instead of going straight home, she made a few detours. She knew that Alison didn't live with her parents anymore, but she still drove past just to see how much it had changed over the years. The only difference was that Mrs. DiLaurentis had planted different flowers. Other than that, it remained the same. The house was the same color that she remembered. It even had the same windchimes hanging from the porch. Once Emily had seen the DiLaurentis house she found herself driving in the direction of her old apartment. Sure, she hadn't lived there for too long, but it was still the first place she really called home after she left her parents. She didn't consider the dorms from college to be home. They were only temporary.

Emily slowed the car as she approached her old apartment and it also looked the same except that now the front door was a different color. The rest looked exactly as she had left it. It was now occupied by someone else and Emily hoped they were able to make better memories in it than she had. She and Alison had lived in the apartment for about a year and sure, great memories were created in that apartment, countless memories that would once make Emily smile but now they only hurt her. She wasn't able to focus on the good because the final memories she had while living in that apartment were the worst of her life. She continued driving down the familiar street and away from her old home. Emily continued driving for another half hour before she finally parked in front of her childhood home.

It was still difficult for her to even be at her parent's house because it too was riddled with memories of Alison. Emily told Alison about the bet that destroyed their friendship in that house. They made up in her room. They first said I love you in Emily's room. It was for this reason that Emily hadn't even stepped foot in her old room. She put her luggage in the guest room, which is where she would be sleeping until after the wedding, when she could finally return to her own home. A place that wasn't tainted with memories of Alison. A place where she could finally relax. It was only her first evening in Rosewood and already, Emily was counting down the days until she could leave.

It made Emily feel guilty because her parents were immensely excited to see her, and she returned the sentiment but that didn't make things any easier. She didn't want her time with her parents to be rushed but she also knew she would spend a lot of time moping around when they weren't present. The trip was always pleasant when her parents came to visit her. They would stay in her guest room, which was only ever used when they came to visit or the rare times that her friends came to see her for a weekend. Emily would show them around the town and they would completely enjoy each other's company. There were no elephants in the room that everyone was afraid to address. It was just Emily with her family. No excruciating memories, no moping, no looking over her shoulder every time she saw someone with blonde hair. Life had become much easier in Texas and Emily was eager to get back, even if it meant rushing away from her mother, father, and best friends.

 **I am happy that so many of you like this story so far. I hope you continue to stick with me :) I love reading your reviews, so keep them coming! It is amazing motivation for me to update quicker. As far as an update schedule goes, that is up to you guys. I've always updated when you were vocal about wanting more chapters. As I've said before, reviews or even PMs make for great motivation.**

 **And to the guest who asked if I would be writing more for this universe once this story is complete, yes! I plan to do a third installment, as long as this one is well received. I have many ideas for the next story, but I am waiting to see how this one plays out before I invest too much time into it.**


	3. Chapter 3

Alison was sitting in one of the back rooms of the chapel, staring at herself in the mirror. Hanna was still fussing over her hair and endlessly talking but Ali heard none of it. Her nerves were getting the best of her and she wasn't sure if they were good or bad. The only thing keeping her calm was the soothing music pumping through the speaker in the corner of the room. Half of her wanted to tuck tail and run away but the other half of her knew that wasn't an option. Elliott was somewhere nearby waiting for her. She knew he was excited and couldn't wait to see her. That was all she needed to think about to keep herself from disappearing. He was good to her and he honestly loved her. She loved him as well, but she couldn't stop thinking about her dream wedding.

Years ago, she had a much different wedding in mind and she had her heart set on it, but it was no longer a reality. She didn't care about the location or the decorations. She didn't care what flavor the wedding cake was or if they served chicken or salmon. The main difference that bothered her was the person she was meeting at the end of the aisle. Life took her down a different path and she had to accept that. If she focused on everything from her past she would never be able to move forward and build a future for herself. Alison shook herself out of her thoughts when Hanna roughly tugged on a strand of her curled, golden hair.

"Ow, Han! Watch out."

"Sorry, I'm almost finished, I promise." The other blonde was too busy applying half a can of hairspray to have sincerely meant her apology. She wanted Alison to look perfect, especially because everyone knew she was in charge of hair and makeup.

"Ok, Ali. It's time to get you into that dress. You only have fifteen minutes before you need to walk down the aisle." Hanna said as she walked across the room to retrieve the gorgeous, white gown that now fit perfectly.

There was a knock on the door and Alison's eyes snapped up. Hanna cracked the door open and saw that it was Spencer and Aria. They entered the room in purple bridesmaid's dresses that matched Hanna's. Alison couldn't choose which of her friends she wanted to be the maid of honor, so she opted to not have one.

"Hey, Ali. We just wanted to see you before the wedding started." Aria said with a soft smile.

"She was just about to put her gown on, so you're just in time," Hanna said as she approached the other blonde with the long garment.

Alison dropped her silk bathrobe and stepped into the dress. Hanna zipped the back and helped to smooth out any creases before the soon to be bride turned to face all three of her friends.

"What do you guys think?" Alison nervously asked.

"You are stunning." Spencer breathed out with tears in her eyes.

"Elliott is one lucky man," Aria said with a laugh.

"Very lucky. However, if you want to ditch him and marry me instead, I am willing. You are a goddess, Ali." Hanna said causing Alison to burst out laughing.

"Knock it off, Hanna," Alison said with a playful shove to the other woman's shoulder.

Spencer cleared her throat, hoping she wasn't about to make things too awkward. "So, Emily sends her regards. She said to wish you good luck."

"I half expected her to come see me before the wedding started," Alison said, not concealing her disappointment.

"She wanted to, but she wasn't sure if it would be appropriate," Spencer explained.

"Yeah," Aria agreed. "She didn't want to upset you on your big day. She wasn't sure if you wanted to see her."

"I actually would. . . Like to see her, that is. Would you mind sending her back here?" Alison asked though a part of her was unsure if it was a good idea.

All three bridesmaids left the room, knowing that when Emily showed up they would need a moment alone. To them, it felt wrong to be helping with Alison's wedding, knowing that Emily wasn't the person the blonde was marrying but they couldn't abandon Alison. Over the course of her relationship with Emily, all five women had grown close. Even after the breakup, Alison kept in contact with the other three women. It felt odd that Emily didn't have a special place in the wedding like the rest of them but at the same time they knew it would be too much for the swimmer. If Emily wasn't going to be the other bride, then she didn't need to participate in the wedding.

They knew it was Emily's reluctance to get married that caused Alison to move on, but they still felt bad for their friend. They knew that she had never stopped loving Alison, even though she didn't want to get married. At times, they felt stuck in the middle, but this day was about Alison, so they had to do anything they could for her. If she wanted to speak to Emily they would bring the other woman to her, which is exactly what they did. Emily was unsure of it at first but after they insisted that Alison asked for her she caved in and followed them to the double doors that led to the blonde's dressing room. The second the doors opened they gently shoved the brunette inside and slammed them behind her.

Alison turned around and caught sight of her ex-lover. She looked beautiful in a form-fitting, dark blue dress with a black choker to match her heels, while her hair was in a neat bun on top of her head. Emily was so beautiful that it broke Alison's heart, but the brunette was feeling the same way. Sure, she had already seen Alison in her wedding dress, but she hadn't seen her with her hair and makeup done or with the attached veil. Emily took a deep breath as she looked at the blonde, not sure what she should say since Alison was the one that requested her presence.

"Thank you for coming today. I honestly couldn't picture this day without you." Alison said.

"There was no way that I could miss it, Ali. How could I pass up the opportunity to see you like this?" Emily said while trying to keep her emotions in check.

"I know it isn't easy, being here, but I really am thankful," Alison spoke as she walked forward.

The two women stared at each other, wondering what to say next. Emily noticed that Alison wasn't wearing her heels yet, which left the blonde several inches shorter. Alison had to tilt her head up just to make eye contact with Emily. She still didn't know what she wanted to say, all she knew was that she needed to see the brunette one last time before she got married. Now that they were in the same room, Alison didn't want Emily to leave. She took one more brave step in Emily's direction and wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist. She needed to do it because she felt like she was saying goodbye, though they already did that several years prior.

Emily immediately wrapped her arms around Alison's shoulders and held the blonde close. Both women remained silent as Alison rested her cheek on Emily's bare shoulder. The only sound was coming from the speaker which was playing a soft melody. It was a mix of piano and a string quartet. The soothing sound helped Alison to relax once again. Emily didn't want to let Alison go, so she reached for the other woman's arm and tugged until their hands met. Emily laced their fingers and slowly began to sway side to side while the blonde followed her lead. There were many times that Alison imagined slow dancing with Emily on her wedding day, but she had never imagined it would be like this. Alone in her dressing room while her groom was somewhere waiting for her.

Alison allowed Emily to lead her all around the spacious room, never once removing her head from the brunette's shoulder. They danced and enjoyed the moment until the song came to an end. Emily stilled their bodies, but they didn't pull apart. The only movement Alison made was when she tilted her head up in search of Emily's eyes. The brunette sighed as she looked down to meet Alison's. When she glanced up and their gazes instantly locked, Alison felt her bottom lip beginning to tremble. She had wanted to marry Emily so badly and now she would never get that chance. All because they were both stubborn, foolish, and too full of pride.

"Ali, don't. Don't cry. You're supposed to be happy today." Emily said, feeling her heart crumbling at the sight of Alison looking so broken once again.

The blonde didn't even try to speak, knowing that as soon as she did she would lose control of her emotions. It was taking all her concentration to prevent herself from crying, but she couldn't stop her lip from trembling. Emily boldly reached up and swiped Alison's bottom lip with her thumb. It was meant to comfort the blonde but instead, it caused a lone tear to escape her eye. Emily was never able to handle it when Alison cried. It was her weakness all those years ago and it still had an effect on her. Instinctively, Emily began inching her face toward her ex-girlfriend. Alison didn't make a move to pull away. She was spellbound by Emily. All she was able to do was close her eyes and wait for the contact that finally came.

They held their lips in place for a long moment before pulling away, only to lean forward again. Alison knew she shouldn't be kissing Emily, but she couldn't stop herself. She needed the closure and if this was how she got it then so be it. Alison felt her knees trembling as their lips met over and over. Emily's grip on Alison's waist tightened as she opened her mouth wider to swipe her tongue through the blonde's lips. Alison quietly moaned as her own tongue met Emily's. She knew Hanna was going to have to reapply her lipstick, but it didn't matter to her. In this moment, all she cared about was Emily.

"Em, we can't," Alison whispered before pressing her lips to Emily's once more.

"Then tell me to stop," Emily mumbled between kisses. "Push me away."

But Alison didn't. She only pulled Emily closer, almost as if she was afraid the brunette really would stop. Alison felt as though they were going to get carried away because neither woman wanted to be the one to end the kiss. They kept growing sloppier and needier. Emily roughly squeezed Alison's hips while the blonde's perfectly manicured nails were biting into the flesh of the other woman's shoulders. What started out as a soft kiss turned into a full-blown make-out session. Emily's lips strayed from Alison's as they traveled to her neck. Alison tilted her head to the side and felt her heart pounding in her chest. She felt like a horrible person because she never wanted Emily to stop. Her breathing grew labored when she felt the other woman's tongue sliding against the sensitive skin of her neck.

Alison released a breathy moan when she felt Emily's teeth lightly scraping her neck. The brunette then kissed her way back to Alison's lips before the blonde switched their position. The bride-to-be began devouring Emily's neck as though she was starving. Emily's jaw dropped while her hands slid against the back of Alison's dress, wanting nothing more than to tear it off. Both women were happy to continue until a knock at the door caused them to break apart.

The two quickly put some distance between themselves as Alison smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress. She glanced at Emily one last time before calling out to the person on the other side. "Come in."

Hanna entered the room and looked at her watch. "You have five minutes. Are you ready?"

Alison looked at Emily and closed her eyes before sighing. She wasn't ready. She would never be ready, but her head nodded on its own. She knew she couldn't leave him at the altar, not that she had any reason to leave him. Emily was still able to take her breath away but that didn't change the fact that they wanted different things.

"You are not ready!" Hanna exclaimed. "Your lipstick is everywhere, and that includes on Emily's face and shoulder. What you two do is none of my business but you will not ruin your makeup on my watch. Quick, sit down and let me fix this. BOTH of you."

Both women sheepishly sat down while Hanna made them presentable once more, which took almost the entire five minutes. The blonde began to clear up Alison's makeup first before moving on to Emily. She managed to keep a straight face the entire time she was working on the bride-to-be but when it was her turn to clean Alison's lipstick off the brunette she couldn't contain her smirk. Everyone loved Emily and Alison together and everyone in their group had wanted them to work things out so badly. It was never the same after their break up and everyone knew they never stopped loving each other. Hanna tried to make eye contact with Emily the entire time she touched up her makeup, causing the tanned woman to grimace as she avoided the blonde's gaze. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain this one, but she knew that the moment Alison wasn't around, Hanna would be cornering her and demanding answers. These were answers that Emily didn't even have for herself.

Once Hanna was finished she called out, "Ok, you are both flawless once again. Let's keep it that way. At least until the wedding is over."

Emily suddenly felt sick. She knew the reason Alison's makeup would be ruined after the wedding and it wasn't because they would be making out again. Alison would be going on her honeymoon and she would be under the sheets with someone else. She felt stupid for kissing the woman on her wedding day, but it had felt right. As long as Alison was reciprocating then she wouldn't have been able to stop herself.

Emily knew she needed to get away from the blonde. She stood and walked to the door, glancing over her shoulder one last time. She stared at Alison for a moment before speaking. "Good luck, Alison. I hope he treats you the way you deserve and that you are truly happy."

Emily quickly left the room, feeling herself beginning to choke up. She went in search of her mother, knowing that she wouldn't be able to make it through the wedding. She found Pam sitting with Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Marin, and Mrs. Hastings. She looked as though she was having a great time, which she knew was true since they had already gotten into a bottle of wine earlier. Emily hated to take away her mother's good time, especially since the older Fields' woman didn't get out much while her husband was deployed, so she approached and gently placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, mom. I was just going to let you know that I am heading out."

"Are you alright? I'll come with you." Pam said with a look of concern etched across her face.

Emily was quick to shoot that idea down. "No, that's ok. Just enjoy the people, food, and champagne and I will see you tonight."

"Em, if this is too difficult for you then I want to be there with you. I told you, at any moment we can leave together." Pam insisted.

"Mom, I will be ok. I just need some time to myself. I'm going to go home, get in my pajamas and eat some junk food. Really. I want you to stay in my place, please." Emily gave her one final pleading look before her mother huffed in frustration.

"I hate it when I can't be there for you, Emmy."

"I know, but you can be there with me tonight. I will have plenty of time to myself and then we can watch a movie or something when you get home." Emily insisted one last time before her mother caved.

"Fine, but call me if you need anything. I mean it. I'll drop anything for you." Pam said while giving her daughter a reassuring hug.

"Thanks, mom. I'll see you in a few hours. Love you."

"Love you too, baby," Pam said, not turning away from her only child until she was out of sight.

Emily had left the room with only a few minutes to spare before the wedding began. Pam watched and smiled at everyone, especially at her daughter's best friends. They looked so beautiful as they walked down the aisle. Pam felt herself tearing up, which became worse when the bride entered the room. There was a point in her life when Pam just knew that Alison was going to be her daughter-in-law. It took some time for Pam to warm up to the idea of Emily being a lesbian, but Alison only helped matters. She was a wonderful young woman, that much was obvious to anyone who met her. Once she had gotten over the initial shock of her daughter being gay, Pam welcomed Alison with open arms.

She knew why things didn't work out between her daughter and the gorgeous blonde that was currently being led down the aisle by her father. She just didn't understand why Emily so strongly opposed marriage and children. She came from a good loving home. Both her parents adored her and each other but for some reason, Emily didn't believe in it. Pam would always be on her daughter's side even when she was wrong, but she didn't blame Alison for leaving.

Alison's eyes were supposed to be glued to her fiancé as she walked down the aisle but instead, they were darting everywhere in search of Emily. She needed to see the other woman one last time to ensure that she wasn't making a mistake. A part of her wanted Emily to oppose the wedding. A part of her wanted Emily to ask her to run away when they were in the dressing room but instead, the brunette remained mostly silent. After Alison glanced over the bride's side she then searched the groom's. Emily was nowhere to be seen and she felt her heart break a small fraction from the knowledge that Emily was honestly going to let her go again.

She looked at Pam and furrowed her brows only to be met with a sympathetic frown and a slow shake of the head. Emily wasn't at her wedding and honestly, Alison couldn't blame her. She would never be able to watch Emily get married to someone else but then again, she was the one willing to get married. Emily was the one who refused.

She finally made it to the end where Elliott's beaming face greeted her. She smiled back at him though it was in no way the smile she would be giving Emily. Before she knew it, the wedding began, and she found herself repeating her vows. The same vows that millions of people had already said. Alison didn't take the time to write her own. Elliott had suggested it, but she brushed the idea off and told him it was too corny. He didn't push her on it but if she was being honest, she knew it wasn't corny. If Emily had suggested it, she would have felt her heart melt into a puddle, but Emily didn't suggest it and she wasn't marrying Emily.

As if she was on autopilot, Alison went through the motions and said what she needed to say, all the while halfway hoping that Emily would burst through the doors and whisk her away. If Emily actually did do that, Alison wasn't sure how she would react. However, she knew that if it didn't happen, then she was where she needed to be and that life would guide her down the path that she was meant to take. In the end, she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed when no one objected to the wedding and suddenly she felt herself being kissed by her husband.

Once he pulled away, Alison plastered on a fake smile. As she walked back down the aisle she gave herself a pep talk.

'If you were meant to be with her then you would have never broken up. If you two were meant to be together she would have said something in the dressing room. She would have opposed the wedding. She would have come home sooner and tried to fix things, but she didn't. You are married to a good man. You are meant to be with him and soon you will start a family with him. These are things you have always wanted, and you deserve them. He is giving you everything you ever asked for while Emily wouldn't even consider it. Here she is, once again, letting you walk away. She doesn't even fight for you. That is how you know you made the right choice. You are going to build a life with Elliott and you will be happy together. Sure, you don't feel the same fire for him that you do Emily but sometimes our first choice simply isn't an option. You will never feel the same for anyone as you do for your first love but that is all she is. Now you are with your second love and he will give you the world. Don't mess this up, Alison.'

She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she finished her mental pep talk. Elliott noticed it and assumed it was a tear of joy. Once they were out of the main room and away from prying eyes he turned and smiled at her. He reached his hand up and wiped away her tear before leaning forward to kiss his wife. He pulled away and smiled once more, which Alison returned.

"This has been the happiest day of my life and it's only getting started." He whispered.

Alison genuinely smiled at him because he was a great person. He loved her and did anything he could for her. When she looked into his eyes she could honestly see love. On top of that, they were friends. They got along great and she sincerely enjoyed the time she spent with him. It was in that moment that she vowed to be the best wife she could be. He deserved to be with a good woman and it was her new goal to be as great to him as he was to her. No more kissing Emily, no more pining for a woman who didn't want her. This was her life now and she was going to do everything she could to make it as incredible as possible.

 **I am loving your reviews and how you are analyzing Emily and Alison so thoroughly. The things they are experiencing aren't simple. Even they don't fully understand or know how to handle the situation and I'm glad that so many of you are able to look deeper than the surface. Thanks for reading and please keep those reviews coming.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This A/N is lengthy, which I usually don't do, but I have a few things that I needed to mention.**

 **Emily and Alison have so much they need to figure out, not only together but individually as well, before they can make any progress. This story contains angst, drama, sadness, infidelity, frustration, pain, confusion and other negative things before it gets to the good, sweet, and fluffy chapters. Which, there will be happy chapters. I'm a sucker for happy Emison. This story isn't 100% angst. So you have been warned and I hope you choose to keep reading. Some of you aren't thrilled with the direction I am taking my story or how slowly it is building and I know it is frustrating. But I am standing by the story I created and every single part has a purpose.**

 **I know you all have many questions about why Emily does this or why Alison does that. I think that every question will be answered throughout the story. If not, I will answer anything when it is finished. But one thing I will address right now, because I had some hostile reviewers (No worries. I deleted most of them and they don't get to me. This isn't my first fanfiction, after all lol), is the fact that Alison is a bisexual. In the first story, she dated Noel before Emily. I never once claimed that she realized she was a lesbian. I have always made it clear that she is attracted to both men and women. Bisexuals deserve representation the same as everyone else. She isn't straight while she is with Elliott and a lesbian when she is with Emily. She is 100% bisexual all the time. That never changes.**

 **The B in LGBT is just as valid and important as the other letters. You can't demonize a bisexual person for being in an opposite-sex relationship but embrace them when they are dating the same-sex. That is no different than parents who only 'love' their children when they are straight. Bisexuals are always a part of our community and we all need to respect each other. There are enough people in the world who are against the LGBT community, which is why it is shocking to see some of that hate and ignorance coming from our own group. Make the world a better place by embracing and respecting each other instead of adding more hate and negativity, it isn't a difficult concept. Some of you should really stop and ask yourselves, "Is this the kind of person I want to be? Can I honestly be proud of myself?" This doesn't pertain to all of you but unfortunately, there are many of you that need to seriously reflect on the things you do and say.**

 **My lecture on peace, love, and respect is over. Enjoy the chapter :)**

The morning after her wedding, Alison woke up in the bedroom she shared with Elliott. She stretched and noticed his side of the bed was empty, which was to be expected. He had to go to work until it was time for them to leave on their trip. Their honeymoon and her wedding date didn't quite match up. There was some confusion when the planning began and needless to say, she had a few days left in Rosewood before she left for Italy. She had a lot on her mind and she attempted to keep her head clear, but it was difficult. Emily kept invading her thoughts and the more she thought about the other woman the angrier she became. She wasn't angry with Emily. She was angry with herself for not being able to forget about her ex-lover.

Alison decided that she needed to speak to Emily one last time before she went back to Texas. A part of her regretted inviting Emily but the other half knew that was never an option. She knew Emily very well and the brunette would have been devastated if she didn't get invited. Either way, Alison's life was finally comfortable without Emily. It took her several years to get into a good place, but she finally found peace. However, everything was disrupted now that Emily was back. She knew that Emily had built a life for herself in Texas and that the swimmer would be returning to that life in the near future. However, Alison felt compelled to see the other woman before she left. She thought kissing Emily would give her some closure but all it did was create more questions, more what-ifs. Alison didn't want her marriage with Elliott to start off falling apart so she needed to get her act together and sort everything out with Emily as soon as possible.

She needed Emily to remind her of why she was married to someone else. She needed a reminder of why they couldn't make it work. Sure, Alison knew why their relationship failed, but she needed to see that Emily was still the same person. That she hadn't changed. That was exactly what Alison needed in order to receive closure and she planned to get it that very day.

She sent the brunette a text before climbing into the shower, hoping to have a response by the time she had finished. Alison took her time, allowing the hot water to wake her up and calm her nerves at the same time. She spent longer than usual in the shower before she stepped out and wrapped herself in a large fluffy towel. She made her way back into the bedroom and checked her phone to see that Emily was actually awake, though she wasn't surprised. It was eight in the morning, so of course Emily was awake. She never slept late.

Alison had simply sent a text saying, 'good morning' which was exactly what she received in return. The two women texted back and forth for a few minutes before Alison finally worked up the courage to ask Emily to meet her. Somewhere in public was preferable but Emily was quick to shoot down that idea.

"I am too hungover to be in public. Just meet me at my parent's house."

Alison knew that Emily had missed the reception, so that wasn't the reason she had been drinking. She tried not to dwell on the reason for the tanned woman to be drinking in excess and was instead focused on the fact that they were meeting in private, which she wasn't thrilled about. Hopefully, Pam Fields would be there so they wouldn't be completely alone.

~X~X~X~X~X~

When Alison rang the doorbell for the Fields' residence she had hoped that Pam would be the one to answer the door but instead, she was met by Emily. The brunette had clearly just exited the shower as water droplets were falling from her hair and landing on her shoulders. Even with a hangover Emily still looked gorgeous. Her eyes seemed a bit tired but somehow, she was able to pull off the wet hair and sweatpants look.

"Hi, Ali," Emily said as she opened the door wider.

Alison entered the familiar house and instantly looked around in search of Emily's mother. She clearly couldn't trust herself to be alone with Emily.

"Are your parents here?" The blonde asked.

"No, dad is working and mom had a few errands to run," Emily replied, causing Alison to exhale.

She followed Emily into the living room and watched as the other woman curled up on the sofa. "Make yourself comfortable," Emily instructed but Alison only shook her head.

"I won't be here too long."

"What did you want to talk about?" Emily asked as she pulled a small blanket over her lap.

"I wanted to talk about that kiss we shared. What did that mean to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe we just got caught up in the moment." Emily reasoned, not wanting to admit that she still had feelings for the blonde. It was a little too late for that.

"That is bull shit." Alison spat causing Emily to raise an eyebrow. Alison never cursed, so obviously, she meant business.

"Ali, what do you want me to say?" Emily weakly asked.

"The truth, Emily. I want the truth." Alison loudly spoke while flailing her hands.

"Why don't you tell me why you kissed me back?" Emily countered. "I certainly didn't see you protesting."

"Because seeing you again has filled me with so many conflicting emotions. I always dreamed of marrying you, yet there I was preparing for my wedding, only you weren't my bride. I had so many emotions coursing through me after seeing you for the first time in years. I kissed you back so that I could try and prove that I didn't still have feelings for you. I kissed you back to remind myself of why we never worked out." Alison ranted, her voice cracking toward the end.

"And how did that work out for you? You still married a man. Of course, you would. You get this nice normal life. You get to be some man's wife, you take his last name and you get to have a typical life that millions of people have already lived. That is what you get to do. The same thing that almost every other woman does. Like that is even special." Emily scoffed.

She didn't mean what she said, but she was upset and wanted to press Alison's buttons, and it worked.

"Well excuse me, Emily. But if I am not mistaken I tried to have this life with a woman. A woman who didn't want to have children with me. A woman who refused to marry me. You can't get angry because someone else stepped up and easily did something that you wouldn't. That he is doing things for me that you refused to even consider. You don't get to be angry about this because I was all yours until you ruined it." Alison felt herself shaking with anger before she spoke again. "Anyway, that is why I kissed you. Why did you kiss ME?"

"You don't want the truth. It is too late for the truth." Emily said with a sigh.

"Tell me, Emily. I deserve to know." Alison demanded.

"Fine, you want the truth? The truth is that I never stopped loving you. I never stopped wanting you. Just seeing you in that wedding gown made me feel so many things and made me regret ever letting you go. I regret trying to keep you from having a wedding. I regret how I handled things in the past. Seeing you again, it has been killing me because I know it is my own fault that I have to sit back and let someone else have you. That someone else gets to give you the life that you deserve when that easily could have been me. I kissed you because I needed to say goodbye. I had to feel you one last time even if it is going to haunt me for years to come."

That was not what Alison had expected. She stared at the other woman for a moment before speaking. "You still love me?"

"I'm not sure that I will ever stop," Emily admitted while tiredly rubbing her eyes.

"Why didn't you say something?" Alison asked, feeling herself getting angrier.

"You were getting married, Alison. What good would it have done?"

"If you honestly believe that it wouldn't have made a difference then you clearly don't realize the hold you have on me," Alison said through gritted teeth.

Emily looked stunned. "You would have changed your mind?"

"Now we will never know!" Alison yelled. "Who the hell makes out with their ex on her wedding day if there aren't feelings involved? Of course, it would have changed everything."

Emily wanted to smack herself for not telling Alison how she felt. She thought her feelings were pretty obvious when she kissed her but apparently, Alison needed more than that to prove how she felt. Emily was so angry with herself and Alison could tell.

The blonde took a deep, calming breath before speaking again. "Elliott is good to me. He is the next best option. Things with you didn't work out, so I have settled for my second choice. If you can't see that then you are blind."

Alison saw that Emily had tears falling down her face and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the brunette. Alison knew the pain she was feeling all too well. It was a wound that she also possessed. A wound that would never properly heal. There were days that it would be forgotten, and she thought that she was finally moving on but then a memory or a reminder of the other woman would tear the wound open again, leaving it as raw and as fresh as it was the day it was created. Alison didn't want Emily to hurt anymore and she herself didn't want to feel any pain, so she tried to offer some kind of comfort to the broken woman.

"Look, don't feel bad about this. You wouldn't want me if you knew the truth." Alison whispered, vividly remembering the night they broke up.

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked in confusion.

"You never wanted children. . . I found out last night. There were little signs here and there, like my wedding dress suddenly being too tight or certain foods making me nauseated. The fact that every time I tried to drink champagne at my own wedding I couldn't stomach it. I've been so stressed lately that I hadn't even realized my period was late but when I did notice it, I took a test and it was positive."

Emily blankly stared for several seconds before she slowly approached the other woman and dropped to her knees. She felt herself begin to cry, resting her forehead against Alison's stomach. The same one that was currently creating life. Alison was at a loss. She knew Emily wouldn't take it well, but she didn't expect her to fall apart. Alison rested her hands on Emily's head and began to stroke her hair.

"Ali, you're going to be a mother." Emily croaked as she turned her face, pressing a kiss to the other woman's stomach.

Alison gasped when she felt Emily lifting her shirt, but she didn't stop her. Emily kissed her bare flesh over and over and it made Alison's knees want to buckle. Emily hadn't wanted children when they were together but now, knowing that Alison was pregnant, it changed her outlook. Alison was going to be a beautiful mother with a gorgeous child. Emily could already picture it, which made her cry even harder because this was another aspect of the blonde's life that she could have been a part of and it was all her fault that she wasn't. She kissed all over the shorter woman's abdomen and Alison felt herself begin to cry as well.

This was the reaction she wanted from Elliott. The adoration and excitement but instead he was indifferent. He immediately asked her if she wanted to keep it, abort it, or put it up for adoption. His response seemed off in her opinion. In his eyes, he was being supportive of whatever decision she wanted because they certainly hadn't planned this, but he should have known her better than that. He should have known that she would want her baby. She got angry and immediately told him that she was keeping their child and he only nodded. Elliott told her they may as well begin preparing a nursery. Sure, he wasn't abandoning her, but he wasn't enthusiastic about it either. Not like Emily currently was.

The swim coach continued worshipping her body and mumbling sweet phrases such as 'You will be the best mother' and 'I can't wait to meet her or him.' It was causing Alison's heart to swell but at the same time, it was making her feel other things as well. Things she had tried repressing for years. Alison rested her hands on Emily's jaw and pulled the tanned woman up to meet her face. Emily looked into Alison's watery, blue eyes and felt her breath hitch with the intensity of the blonde's gaze.

"Ali, you're going to be so good at this." Emily breathed out.

This was one thing that the blonde desperately needed to hear. As excited as Alison was, she was still terrified and completely worried that she was going to mess up. She needed someone to assure her that she was going to be great at it. Her husband was supposed to be that person, but he only left her feeling unsettled. It meant the world to her for Emily to say those words. It meant too much because suddenly the blonde began feeling emotional. A few tears rolled down her flushed cheeks and Emily, once again, felt herself gravitating toward Alison.

On instinct, both women leaned in and shared a slow yet passionate kiss. Emily wrapped her arms around the blonde and kissed her while holding nothing back. Alison whimpered as her fingers tangled into those raven locks that she loved so dearly. She was no longer used to having a head full of thick hair to tug on when she was kissing but it felt right. Alison was screaming at herself in her mind. She told herself to stop but her body wouldn't listen. Again, she had no control. She had no power to stop it. Something about the way that Emily reacted to her pregnancy made her crave the other woman. She needed her.

Instead of fighting it, she allowed her body to act of its own accord. The two stumbled back until they reached the sofa. Emily turned and gently guided Alison to sit down. They sat side by side and kissed each other like they never planned to stop. Alison slid her hands all around Emily's back and shoulders, causing the brunette to shudder. She missed the way Emily kissed her. She missed the way Emily felt. She missed it all.

Alison had come to see Emily in hopes of realizing that the tanned woman hadn't changed, but in fact, she had. Seeing this change in Emily made an incredible difference in the way Alison felt. She hoped this visit would help her get over the other woman once and for all but instead it only confused her feelings even more. She had no idea her visit would lead to them kissing on Pam Fields' sofa but now that it was occurring, Alison didn't want to protest. The more they kissed, the more emotional both women became. They knew it was wrong. They knew it couldn't last. Soon, Emily felt herself crying. She tried to ignore it so she could continue kissing the other woman but after a moment she had to pull away.

"This doesn't feel real. . . Please, tell me this is real." Emily spoke out of breath.

"I'm right here, Emily." Alison breathed out against the tanned woman's ear.

Emily pulled back and Alison stared at her before leaning in to kiss away the swimmer's tears. As much as Emily hated to see Alison cry, the blonde couldn't stand it either. As she kissed away her ex's tears she felt a few of her own spilling out of her eyes. The tender way they were treating each other only proved that it wasn't some random hook up. It wasn't about being sexual. It wasn't because Alison was a selfish person who didn't care how anyone felt. There were deep feelings involved, feelings that neither woman could deny when they were together.

Emily leaned back and pulled Alison until the shorter woman was resting on top of her. She peppered Alison's forehead with gentle kisses while their actions began consuming their thoughts. They didn't speak about what had just occurred. They knew it wasn't something simple. Alison was married and pregnant, yet she had just kissed her ex-girlfriend once again. Alison didn't want to think about it just yet. She wanted to enjoy this moment a little longer before reality came crashing down on them, which happened much quicker than either woman had anticipated. The front door opened and in walked Pam Fields with her arms full of grocery bags. At first, she didn't notice the two women cuddling on her sofa, but when she did, she squealed in surprise. The older Fields woman immediately apologized.

"Emily, I'm so sorry. I saw the vehicle outside and knew you had company, but I didn't expect . . . this."

Emily knew her mother was shocked. "I didn't think you would be home so quickly."

Pam walked into the kitchen to give the women some privacy. When Emily looked at Alison her face was completely red. The blonde immediately began to panic.

"Ali, are you alright?" Emily asked.

"Emily, this was a mistake. I shouldn't have done this with you." She said as she quickly sat up.

Emily felt her heart sink. For the first time in years, she felt whole again and it was all about to be ripped away. "You just told me that you still have feelings for me. You can't walk away from this." She insisted.

"I have to, Emily. You had plenty of time to get me back, but it is too late. Yes, I still have feelings for you, but it isn't our time anymore. Now I am married, and already I am defiling the commitment I made. Now I am pregnant. I have to give this child a family. I'm sorry, Emily. You said all the right things and I got caught up in the moment, but you are just a little bit too late." Alison whispered the last part as a sob shook her body.

She was completely confused, and she knew she had made a terrible mistake. It was best that she never saw Emily Fields ever again. It was too difficult, painful, and confusing. Those were things she couldn't have in her life now. She was going to be a mother and her own wants had to come in second place to those of her child. Her heart may always long for Emily, but she had learned to live without her once before. She would just have to do it again.

Emily reached for Alison, but the blonde tried backing away. Emily took a large step toward her, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman and resting their foreheads together. Alison started to push her away but couldn't find the strength.

"Alison, this is going to happen every time we are alone together. I can't help myself when I am with you. I cannot keep my hands to myself and it is clear you feel the same. If you honestly don't want this to keep happening, then don't invite me to come speak to you in private. Don't reach out to me and ask to meet up. If you honestly don't want this, then you can't put us in situations where it is a possibility. I am not strong enough to fight these feelings or to say no to you. . . And you aren't either. God, Ali. We are going to break each other again."

Emily finished her speech with a lingering kiss that the blonde wanted desperately to get lost in. Instead, Alison rested her palm on Emily's jaw as she pulled away. She took one look into Emily's eyes and saw all the emotion swirling in them. Thinking back on her previous words, Alison realized she needed to clarify something.

"By the way, I don't think that being with you is a mistake. The timing is the mistake. Us doing this while I am married is a mistake. It is horrible timing. This is the worst timing." Alison huffed out in frustration.

"We should have never broken up." Emily croaked.

"What choice did we have?" Alison exasperatedly asked. "It wouldn't have been fair to make you have a wedding and children that you didn't want. It wouldn't have been fair if you deprived me of those things. We didn't have many options."

Emily only nodded but she was still upset because she had spent a lot of time over the years simply thinking about how things could have been.

"What frustrates me the most," Emily began, "is the fact that I honestly didn't want kids. I never wanted to get married. I was sure of it. That is why I was so stubborn about it. I just couldn't see myself ever changing my mind. I also couldn't suck it up and give you those things while faking my enthusiasm because that wouldn't be fair to you."

"And now?" Alison asked.

"And now I feel broken because you have those things and I am not a part of them. I am angry with myself for being stubborn. I am mad because I couldn't even consider the fact that I may change my mind one day." Emily began shaking as she cried, and Alison couldn't help herself as she wrapped her arms around the swimmer.

"This is too difficult. For both of us. We can't keep doing this to each other." Alison whispered.

Emily only nodded, knowing that the blonde was right. Alison had to get away from this mess they were creating, for both of their sakes. She placed a brief kiss to Emily's cheek before turning and swiftly exiting through the front door while furiously attempting to wipe the tears away from her eyes and leaving the taller woman alone to deal with her mother. She collected herself for a few seconds before timidly entered the kitchen to see Pam putting groceries away. Emily grimaced before breaking the silence, hating to have this conversation.

"I am so sorry about that."

"Emily, she is a married woman. What were you two thinking?" Pam asked.

Emily knew she wasn't being judgmental. The older woman was simply worried about her daughter.

"We weren't thinking. Yesterday she asked to see me before the wedding and we ended up kissing."

"So that is why you wanted to leave in such a hurry." Pam realized.

"Yeah, and today she said she needed to talk to me. So, she came over and we talked. She told me she was pregnant. Things got pretty emotional and it happened again." Emily explained as she sat down at the kitchen table with her face in her hands.

"Pregnant . . . Are you alright?" Pam asked as she took the empty seat opposite her daughter.

"I don't know what I am right now. I am so confused. I am hurt. I don't know what emotion to feel."

"Maybe it is best if you two stay away from each other. This is only going to end in heartbreak. I have seen you make tremendous progress over the years and I hate for you to have to start all over again." Pam said as she rubbed her daughter's shoulder.

"You're right." Emily agreed as she put her head on the table.

"I hate to say this, but maybe you shouldn't come back to Rosewood again. You left for a reason and you were doing so well."

"It isn't realistic to avoid this place completely. I wish it were that simple." Emily said with a sigh.

"You know your father and I are always willing to come to you. Just, limit the time you spend in Rosewood. I know it isn't good to run away from your problems but if it is going to save you from being so broken then I don't care what you must do. I hate seeing my little girl in pain."

"I was going to stay in town for a few more days but I think it is best if I catch the quickest flight back home. I have a lot of thinking I need to do and being here isn't going to help me at all." Emily said as she picked her head back up and stared at her mother with big, sad eyes.

"Go pack your bags and I will look up flight information. Then your dad and I will come and visit you the first chance we get."

"Thank you for always understanding," Emily said with a sad smile.

"I am your mother. I will always be on your side. No matter what."

Emily truly did have an amazing support system. Between her parents and her friends, Emily would have never survived her breakup with Alison without them. She had a feeling she would be relying on them a lot more in the near future because Emily could feel her heart crumbling all over again.

 **If there were any mistakes it is because I just rewrote this entire chapter in one night. I edited until my eyes began to cross, but I believe everything is in order. I promise we're getting closer and closer to those fluffy chapters lol**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter was supposed to show up hours ago but the website was having some kind of issue. I apologize for it causing so much confusion :(**

After Alison left Emily's house, she felt herself beginning to panic. She remained outside the brunette's house, simply sitting in her car while so many thoughts were swirling through her mind. She cheated on a person who didn't deserve it. The person who she was having a baby with. The person she married. Never in all her life did she think she could be that kind of person.

The worst part was that it felt so perfect while she was doing it. Feeling Emily's lips on hers was her own version of paradise. A feeling she had long forgotten. Alison had spent so much time telling herself that she was no longer in love with Emily that she honestly believed it. She believed it until Emily kissed her. Now she knew that her feelings for the other woman never even faded, which put her in an immensely difficult position. She loved Elliott. She loved how kind he was. How gentle he was. She loved that he was always there for her. He made her laugh and he took care of her when she was unwell. He was a good husband.

But she was in love with Emily. She felt that fire and passion for the brunette. Her heart felt like it belonged to Emily. Things with Emily had been disastrous in the end, yet she still wanted her. Every aspect of Alison's being responded to Emily. She responded to Emily's voice, her touch, her kiss. All Emily had to do was look at her and Alison was already leaning in.

She was torn between two people she loved dearly. It was just two different forms of love. Emily satisfied her soul and it became clear to Alison that Elliott didn't do that for her. She knew she didn't love him as intensely as Emily, but she had hoped that as the years went by, she would grow to love him as completely as she did her ex. Her love for Emily had grown more intense with each passing day and she hoped to achieve that again. Alison felt herself crying harder when she realized it wasn't possible to love someone the way she did Emily.

Her life truly was a mess and she had no idea what to do in order to fix it. After taking several deep breaths, she calmed down enough to drive. The blonde drove around until her eyes no longer felt puffy and her cheeks returned to their normal color. She didn't drive in any particular direction, honestly not caring where she went. After a while, she found herself stopped at a red light. Alison checked her appearance in the mirror and considered herself decent enough to be seen in public. She drove in the direction of The Brew, in desperate need some hot chocolate. Even though it was the middle of the summer, she still craved the steaming beverage. She assumed the baby wanted it more than she did.

Once she found a parking place, Alison tossed her bag over her shoulder as she exited her car. She was spaced out as she entered the coffee shop. She could barely remember placing the order. The only thing that snapped her back to reality was when the barista handed her the disposable cup. She took her drink and sat at one of the empty tables outside in front of The Brew.

She sipped her drink and was once again lost in thought. She spent a significant amount of time at the table. Even remaining long after her chocolaty beverage was finished. She had no way of knowing how long she had been at the table before a familiar face appeared.

"Well if it isn't little Ali D," Cece said as she lifted her sunglasses to the top of her head.

"Cece? I haven't seen you in years. How have you been?" Alison was genuinely surprised and happy to see the other blonde.

"I have been great. I left Rosewood for a few years but somehow, I found myself coming back. This place has a way of sucking you in. Mind if I sit with you?" Cece asked, though she was already taking an empty seat across from the other blonde.

"Not at all. I'm not waiting for anyone." Alison said, glad that the older woman was offering a distraction.

"Wow, look at that rock!" Cece exclaimed as she reached for Alison's hand, immediately noticing her wedding ring. "So, Emily finally put a ring on it."

That statement caused Alison's face to fall and Cece instantly noticed.

"Sorry. Then who did you marry?" She asked while leaning back in her chair, genuinely curious.

"His name is Elliott. After Emily and I split I moped around for about a year. Then I met Elliott and we've been together ever since."

"Shit, I thought you and Em were solid," Cece stated while shaking her head.

"We really were. But as it turns out, she didn't want to get married or have kids. If she wanted kids but didn't want to get married I think we could have worked around that. But I can't give up being a mother. I can't give that up for anyone." Alison said while mindlessly rubbing her stomach.

"You already got a baby in there?" She asked with wide eyes.

Alison felt herself genuinely smiling. "Yeah, I am about a month along."

"Congrats." Cece paused before asking her next question. "But how can you be with someone for years and not know that they don't want kids or marriage? Doesn't that conversation normally come up in relationships?"

Alison rubbed her forehead and sighed. "It never directly came up. It was mostly just a lack of communication. Emily was always so good with kids. I assumed that she would want them someday. And she would say the sweetest things like, 'I am so lucky that I get to spend the rest of my life with you.' How was I supposed to know that she didn't believe in marriage? I mean, we were young when we got together, and then we were so focused on college that the marriage talk never came up. I didn't want to get married until after we graduated and were building our life together. So, it didn't come up until the end of our relationship."

"That sucks. But I guess I can't blame you. I mean, if you gave up having children because of her it would only cause resentment later on."

"That's exactly what I said. It wouldn't have been fair to either of us."

"On a lighter note, when was the wedding?"

"Yesterday, actually," Alison said, with no excitement in her eyes.

"You don't look too thrilled about it. Why aren't you on your honeymoon?"

"There was a schedule conflict. We won't leave for a few more days." Alison explained.

"So why don't you look happy?" Cece asked, scrutinizing the younger blonde.

"I am happy. Elliott is great. He is good to me. He is kind and thoughtful. Everything you want from a spouse." Alison stated, almost as if she was trying to convince herself.

"But?" Cece prodded.

"What do you mean?"

"There is a but. So, go on. Out with it." she demanded with crossed arms.

Alison thought about lying but honestly, she needed someone to talk to. She could always call Spencer, Aria, or Hanna but they would be too invested because they are also Emily's friends. Alison decided to confide in the older blonde, as she did many years ago.

"But I invited Emily to the wedding. I needed to see her one last time. I also knew she wouldn't have been ok if I didn't invite her. Anyway, right before I walked down the aisle I asked to speak to her and she kissed me."

Cece's eyes widened as she slowly leaned forward, eager to hear more of the story.

"I kissed her back and it started to get heated until Hanna walked in. Then Emily left, and I got married. . . But today I wanted to talk to her about it. I needed to know what the kiss meant. I went to her house and I told her about the baby. We both got emotional and ended up kissing again. She told me she changed her mind. That she wasn't against marriage or opposed to having kids. Of course, she tells me all of this when it is too late." Alison finished with a huff.

"Is it too late?" Cece asked. "Because it doesn't sound like it to me."

"Of course, it is too late. I am married with a baby on the way." Alison explained.

"If there are lingering feelings then is it really too late?"

"It has to be. I can't do this to Elliott again. He has done nothing to deserve it. I have to forget about Emily and move on." Alison said as she rested her forehead on her palm.

"You can't forget her, just like you can't stop loving her."

"I have to stop." Alison defeatedly sighed.

"When did you two break up?"

"Around three years ago." The sad blonde replied.

"Yeah, it isn't going to happen," Cece stated with an all-knowing tone.

"Pardon?" Alison asked as she looked up to make eye contact.

"I'm just saying, you guys got together when you were young. You stayed together for many years. Something major caused you to break up. You have been dating someone else, even married him. Then Emily shows up, kisses you, and tells you the reason you broke up is no longer valid. I'm just saying, you are screwed. You won't be able to stop loving her now."

"Aren't you supposed to be making me feel better?" Alison deadpanned.

"Nope, I am supposed to tell you the truth. Even when it hurts. Speaking of hurt. Why wasn't I invited to the wedding? Those are my favorite." Cece asked with a fake scowl.

"Weddings are not your favorite. You just like them for the open bar." Alison accused with a laugh.

"Fine. Alison, how could you have an open bar without inviting me?"

The younger blonde laughed. "That is more believable. And because I haven't seen you since I was in high school. I didn't know where you were or what you were up to."

"I can assure you it wasn't as interesting as what you have been up to," Cece replied with a smirk. "So, what are you going to do about Emily?"

"I don't know," Alison sighed. "I don't think there is anything I can do."

"You will stay with someone while you are in love with another person? Why? Just so you can be loyal to him?"

"He doesn't deserve this." Alison reasoned. "It's not just about me. There is a baby involved. If I must put my happiness aside for the sake of Elliott and the baby, then so be it. They don't deserve this. Their happiness is more important than mine." Alison said with a frown.

"It really isn't. But what about Emily. Does she deserve this? You will let yourself and Emily both be miserable just to spare Elliott from being heartbroken?"

"Emily is the one who caused us to break up in the first place." Alison reasoned while sliding her fingers through her golden locks.

"She was young and stupid. Now she has matured and changed. You can't always hold that against her."

Alison knew Cece was right but that didn't make things any easier. She couldn't just divorce Elliott while she was pregnant with his child and run away with Emily. That was insane. That wasn't realistic. That wasn't right, and she couldn't do it.

"What would you do?" Alison asked, desperate for anyone to push her in the right direction.

"Shit, I don't know."

"That isn't very helpful." Alison groaned.

"I can't tell you what to do. I just know that you need to follow your heart, or you will be missing out on true happiness. We only live one life, so there is no point in depriving ourselves of anything we love."

"My heart tells me one thing and my mind is saying another. They can't even begin to agree, and I feel so dizzy and torn. I don't know which direction to go. I don't know anything at all."

"I wish I could be more helpful."

"That makes two of us," Alison replied with a sad smile.

"Just ask yourself this. In twenty years if you are married to Elliott, will you still miss Emily? Will you be thinking about the what if's? Will you wonder if you made the right decision? Now picture yourself in twently years, only you are married to Emily. Will you miss being married to Elliott? Will you be thinking about the what if's? Will you wonder if you made the right decision?"

Alison closed her eyes and allowed her imagination to run wild for a moment. She never answered Cece's questions, but she didn't have to. The older woman could tell the only thing Alison was able to focus on were images of being Emily's wife.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

Emily slowly packed her bags in the guest room at her parents' house while Hanna was sprawled out across the bed, not helping her at all.

"Are you going to tell me about that kiss?" Hanna demanded, finally happy to have Emily alone so she could interrogate her.

"It was stupid." The swim coach mumbled.

"That's not what I want to hear. How did it happen? Why did it happen?"

"Things are just intense between us. They always have been. We got caught up in the moment. That is all." Emily replied without looking at her friend.

"Come on, give me more than that."

"There's nothing else to give you." Emily sadly breathed out.

"Oh, there is more than that, Emily Fields. When I marry Caleb, there will be no one else on my mind. I won't even be able to think about another person. Yet Alison asked to see you and even kissed you. That means she isn't as in love with Elliott as she claims to be." Hanna reasoned.

"She still loves me," Emily admitted.

"Duh, but did she tell you that?"

"She said that Elliott is her second choice because it didn't work out with me. That if she didn't have feelings for me then why would she kiss me back. We said a lot actually. She came over this morning and we tried clearing things up."

Hanna was even more invested in the story now. "Did you make any progress?"

"None. She's pregnant. We kissed again. I told her I changed my mind about marriage and kids. And after all that, I think we agreed to keep our distance, so we can stop hurting each other."

Hanna stared at her friend for a moment while searching for something to say, only coming up with, "Are you stupid?"

"I think I may be," Emily admitted wit ha humorless laugh.

"She has feelings for you. She kissed you on multiple occasions. You are her first choice. Why can't you two make this work? It is not too late for her to annul her marriage."

"Did you miss the part about her being pregnant?" Emily deadpanned.

"No, I didn't miss that part at all, but that doesn't change the way you two feel."

"It changes everything else. She can't leave him. That child will need both of them." Emily spoke with the saddest tone.

Hanna wanted to continue protesting but she knew Emily had a point.

"Hanna, I can't tear apart a family. By the time I realized I had changed my mind about kids and marriage it was too late. She was already dating this Elliott guy. I thought that she had moved on and was over me. If I knew I had a chance with her I would have tried. Hell, I would have flown back home with a ring in my hand, but I honestly thought I was too late." Emily spoke so softly that Hanna had to strain to hear.

"You two really have communication issues." The blonde deadpanned.

Emily sniffled but laughed nonetheless, "Yeah, no kidding."

"Do you honestly think she can force this marriage to work forever?" Hanna asked.

"I'm afraid she will. Elliott would be stupid to let her go. And now they are bonded in a way that Alison and I never were. They made a child together. She is going to be attached to him simply because of that."

"Em, they can't stay together just for the baby. Lots of people try and it rarely ever works." Hanna reasoned.

"I think she is staying for more than just the baby. She feels too guilty to leave him. He hasn't done anything wrong and I know she doesn't want to hurt him. She doesn't want to ruin the marriage one day after the wedding. Who does that?"

"Someone who realizes they are in love with their dumbass ex-girlfriend," Hanna growled while smacking Emily on the arm.

"Ow, Hanna. What was that for?" Emily asked while rubbing her arm.

"For being so frustrating. You two are in love. Just be together already. Just run away and deal with the consequences later."

"This isn't a movie, Hanna. We can't just run off into the sunset. Things are complicated now, and it is all my fault." Emily said while leaning back on the bed beside her friend, clearly emotionally exhausted.

"You are just going to go back to Texas and leave this all behind?" Hanna seriously asked.

"I think I need to. She knows I love her. She knows I want children. She knows I would marry her. There is nothing else I can do. She told me I was just a little too late. She is going to try making things work with Elliott and I can't stay here and watch her do it. If she ever changes her mind I will come running but until then I have to leave. Distance is the only thing that will help me get through this again."

"Do you want me to go talk to her?" Hanna offered but Emily only shook her head.

"Thanks for trying to help but after our conversation from this morning, I don't think anything will work. She is set on giving her child a good life and I can't fault her for that. That is what any good mother would do."

"She can't live a lie forever." Hanna reasoned.

"But she is right now. And I have a job and a life I need to get back to as well. We have made a mess of things and I don't know if they will ever get fixed." Emily admitted.

"Whatever happened to staying positive?" Hanna asked.

"I am positive that I have lost her forever."

"That isn't what I meant." The blonde deadpanned.

"That is the truth. I made a huge mess and there is nothing else I can do to fix it. I told her how I feel. She told me how she feels but it isn't enough right now. She was right. My timing is horrible, and I only have myself to blame, but like I said. If she is ever ready to give me another chance, I will give her anything she wants. I will leave everything behind for her."

 **Since this chapter wasn't originally planned (It was mostly a filler and I wrote it over the weekend) and it only added more angst and frustration, I will post another chapter tomorrow if you leave me enough feedback in the next 24 hours. I also plan to upload another one on Thursday, so you could potentially get three updates this week :)**

 **When I began posting this story it was 100% complete, or so I thought. But I really consider the questions you ask and the things you say in your reviews. Which is why I find myself rewriting chapters and even adding new ones because you guys make excellent points and I want to ensure that no question is left unanswered. So never keep any comments to yourself because you help to mold this story. And yes, the third fic will definitely be happening. I'm already working on it. It has a long way to go, though.**


	6. Chapter 6

**As promised, here is chapter six. I am making some major changes, adding, and rewriting many remaining parts of this story because I had a different idea about the direction I wanted it to go. I am putting in a lot of time and effort in order to rewrite it so that it doesn't delay my updates. I don't expect it to, so no worries.**

Alison arrived at her empty home after her run-in with Cece. Her conversation with the other woman was playing on repeat in her mind. If she wasn't with Emily in twenty years, she would, of course, have many regrets. She would never be at peace with herself. A huge part of her heart would be missing. A part of her would always wonder. She kept telling herself that she had to do right by Elliott, but now she was wondering if staying with him wouldn't be right at all. She did love him, very much but it wasn't the kind of love he thought she felt. She could stay with him forever, be good to him and he would never know she was in love with another woman, but that still wouldn't be fair. No one deserved that, but Alison didn't want to break his heart either. It was a horrible thing to do, even if it was unintentional.

She was mentally exhausted and wanted nothing more than to shut out the world for a few hours. She sprawled out across her sofa with the intention of napping but moments after she closed her eyes, there was a loud pounding coming from the front door. She groaned as she made her way toward the noise, jerking the door open to reveal a frazzled looking Hanna Marin.

"What are you doing, Alison?" The blonde demanded to know as she marched into Alison's home.

"Well, I was trying to take a nap until you stormed in." The teacher calmly replied.

"No, I mean with Emily."

Alison looked stunned for a moment before shutting the door and motioning for her friend to follow. After what Hanna saw at her wedding, she assumed the other woman would want to question her.

"I don't know what I'm doing. I feel so many things for her. I repressed it for so long and I thought I was ok, but it has all come flooding back. . . I miss her, Hanna."

"Then be with her already!" She exclaimed.

"You think that I haven't considered that? That I don't see her face every time I close my eyes. You think that I don't want to forget everything and run away with her? Because I do but that's not realistic."

"It could be realistic if you just did it." Hanna practically shouted.

"Stop yelling at me! You're going to stress me out and that's horrible for the baby." Alison snapped.

"That's right. Em mentioned that." Hanna said as she lowered her voice. "Congrats, by the way."

"Thanks. . . Did she send you here?" Alison asked but Hanna shook her head.

"She told me not to. But I don't listen." The blonde said with a shrug.

"You and Cece make it sound so easy to pack up my life and go with her." Alison sighed as she got comfortable on her sofa.

"Just leave Elliott a note and don't call him again until the baby is born. Clearly, you can't take the baby away forever, but you don't have to stay with him just because you're pregnant."

"That's a horrible way to leave someone, and I'm not staying only for the baby, Han."

"Then why?" She sincerely asked.

Alison silently reflected for a moment before speaking.

"Hypothetically, do you really think I could make it work with Emily? Even with a baby?"

"I do. You have to, Ali. Don't do this to her. Don't do this to yourself."

Alison sat in silence while she weighed her options. It was completely crazy. Cece and Hanna were insane. But the more she pictured it the more her heart ached. She needed Emily. She had to make it work. Living a lie wouldn't benefit anyone.

"I can't do this."

"Ali, I'm just trying to help." Hanna began.

"No, I mean, I can't do this with Elliott. Since Emily kissed me the first time, I have put so much thought into what is right and wrong. What I should and shouldn't do, and this isn't how I want to start a marriage. God, if she and I could have just had a conversation before my wedding I wouldn't have gone through with it. I know I couldn't have."

"So, you're leaving him?"

"I can't yet."

"That sounds like you're coming up with an excuse," Hanna stated while scowling.

"Hanna, do you know how fragile a baby is during the first trimester? If I get too stressed or do anything too physical, then I endanger my child. I WILL NOT harm my baby just because Emily and I are stupid and have made a mess of our lives. If I approach Elliott right now and ask for a divorce, one day after the wedding, don't you think things will get stressful and heated?"

"Of course, it will. . ." Hanna began but Alison continued speaking.

"Then you can't blame me for putting my child first. It isn't its fault that Emily and I are walking disasters. So, I'm going to sit here for the next few months until this baby is strong and had a chance to develop. I'm going to think long and hard about how I'm going to handle this because it's a huge decision. I can't process it in one day. Just give me some time. If Emily loves me like she says she does, then she can wait a little longer."

"You're just going to fake your marriage for a few months? That seems a bit unfair to Elliott."

"Don't sit there and judge how I'm handling this situation. I just realized I want to end my marriage, a day after my wedding. Give me a chance to breathe. And I just told you, I'm putting my child first. It's for Elliott's benefit as well. This is his child too. I will not put this baby in an ounce of danger for any reason!" Hanna saw the fire in Alison's eyes and knew that the other woman was being completely honest.

"Alright, relax. I'm not the enemy. I'm just saying, this situation is messed up."

"Hanna, no matter what I do, it's going to be wrong. I just have to figure out which option is the least horrible." Alison said with a groan.

"What are you going to do about your honeymoon? You know he's going to want to sleep with you." Hanna skeptically asked. A part of her had a difficult time believing that Alison would go through with it.

"Hanna, I haven't had a chance to figure anything out. I just need some time to myself. Please." Alison said while rubbing her forehead.

"Fine, but it's probably best if you don't tell Emily about this," Hanna said as she stood.

"Why? She would be so happy."

"Because I don't want you to get her hopes up if you back out. A lot can happen in a few months. Just, keep it to yourself. For now."

Alison wanted to be angry with Hanna, but she knew the other blonde was coming from a good place. She always had good intentions and Alison couldn't fault her for that.

"Fine," Alison agreed.

"She would wait forever, you know. Just, don't make her do that, ok." Hanna said as she left the pregnant woman alone to sort out her life.

Alison remained in her spot on the sofa, trying to process what she had just agreed to. She said she would leave her husband for her ex. While she was pregnant. She had no plans. No idea where they would live. Would Emily come to her? Would she go to Texas? She couldn't actually go to Texas with the baby, Elliott had to be a part of its life, so that wasn't an option. She groaned and rubbed her hands against her face. She had a few short months to figure out how she was going to handle this situation. She was simultaneously terrified and thrilled. Amazing things were going to happen, but she had to do some horrible things in exchange. It truly was going to be a mess no matter how she handled the situation.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Three months had passed. Three long months and Emily still didn't feel better about her situation with Alison. Every single day she reminded herself of the mistakes she made and of the love she lost. It never got any easier. When her thoughts consumed her too badly, Emily would exercise until her body collapsed. Until she had no more energy to put into her thoughts. Other nights, she became best friends with a bottle of wine, sometimes liquor, though she tried not to make that into a habit. She didn't want to drink herself to death but some nights she needed an escape from the mess she made.

This particular night, Emily was drinking. Earlier that day she had received her wedding invitation from Spencer and Toby. She expected it, but it still put her in a bad mood. It reminded her of the last wedding invitation she had received, a night that she also spent hugging a bottle of wine. There were too many parallels between the two situations and she had a feeling that seeing Alison at the wedding would be even more difficult now. Emily had told all her friends, her mother included, not to ever speak to her about Alison. She didn't want to know how the blonde was doing, she didn't want an invitation to a baby shower. She wanted Alison completely removed from her life.

It wasn't exactly what she wanted but she knew it was for the best. Alison was married and at this point was about four months pregnant. There was no place in that life for Emily. Alison must have felt the same because she never once tried to contact the swimmer. Not a text, not a letter, not a phone call or a relayed message from her friends. The two women were completely silent when it came to each other.

Emily poured her third glass of wine and began going over a mental checklist of things she needed to do before she went back to Rosewood. She was going to be a bridesmaid, which meant she needed to go back home a few weeks before the wedding, so the tailor could alter her dress. She was looking forward to spending time with her mother and friends, but she was already dreading being in a town where a pregnant Alison lived with her husband.

Emily found herself laughing at the situation and wondered how many trips she would actually have to make to Rosewood. Sure, Spencer and Toby didn't live there anymore but they insisted on having the wedding in the town where they met. Hanna and Aria also were no longer living in Rosewood either, but she had a feeling they would both have weddings in their hometown as well. It wasn't like they lived far away.

She would more than likely only have to make two more trips back to Rosewood unless there was an emergency with her parents, which she didn't want to consider. She was honestly hoping that Hanna and Aria would hurry and have their weddings, so she could get it over with and say goodbye to Rosewood once and for all. Maybe then she would be able to let go of Alison, instead of allowing the many what-ifs to consume her thoughts. It wasn't healthy, and she looked forward to the day that she no longer pined for her ex-lover.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Much too quick for her liking, Emily found herself in Rosewood. She had grown up with the harsh winters of the north but after spending several years in the Texas heat, Emily was no longer adapted to the low temperatures.

"Why did you insist on your wedding being in December?" Emily complained the moment she entered the tailor's shop. The same one where she saw Alison in her wedding dress, though Emily tried not to dwell on that memory. She approached the soon to be bride with a wide smile.

"Is it ok if I hug her? I don't want to mess up the dress." Emily asked the same tailor from all those months ago.

She smiled and nodded, and Emily instantly wrapped her arms around her friend. They held each other for a brief moment before pulling away, still smiling.

"To answer your question, Toby and I both love cold weather. The date was one of the few things we could agree on in terms of the wedding." Spencer said with a chuckle as the older woman began pinning her dress.

"Where are the others?" Emily asked. It was her way of wanting to know about Alison without singling the blonde out.

"Hanna and Aria just went out for a coffee run. They said they would pick you up something." Spencer replied while staring at her long white gown in the full-length mirror.

Emily really wanted to know about Alison, but she hated to say it out loud. However, Spencer could see that conflicted look that was etched across her friend's face. She decided to spare her.

"She isn't coming today. She wanted to do her fitting at the last minute since her stomach seems to get bigger every day."

"Yes," The tailor spoke, saving Emily from having to respond. "I have altered many dresses for pregnant women. Waiting until the last minute is the best idea. I cleared a portion of my schedule for Mrs. Rollins, so I'll have plenty of time to focus on making her dress perfect for your big day."

"When exactly did you and Toby decide to start wedding planning? I know it was inevitable for you two to get married, but you have been together for years. What gave you the final push?" Emily asked, wanting to change the subject.

Spencer grimaced for a moment before honestly replying. "It was actually Alison's wedding that got us talking. I told him I really liked the way their tables were set up and he liked some kind of decoration they used. We just started talking about things we would want at our future wedding and we ended up planning our own. It's crazy. We pulled it off in no time at all."

After that, everyone remained silent until Hanna and Aria returned. Emily kept replaying the older woman's words in her mind. Mrs. Rollins. That would definitely take some getting used to. Just the sound of it made Emily want to be sick. The bell attached to the door chimed, saving Emily from her nauseating thoughts as Hanna practically burst into the shop. She sat the tray of drinks on the front desk while throwing herself at the tall, tanned woman.

"I missed you, bitch." She whispered in Emily's ear and both women fell into a fit of laughter while refusing to release each other.

"I missed you so much. You too Aria, get over here." Emily demanded.

The petite brunette joined their group hug and in that moment Emily was glad to be home. The four women spent almost an hour catching up while the tailor measured them and began her preparations for altering their matching bridesmaid's dresses. Spencer went with a dark green and Emily admitted that the dresses were beautiful. She couldn't wait to see how great they looked once they properly fit.

The second the shop owner had everything she needed, the four women left in search of a place to eat lunch. Emily and Hanna were always ready to eat, so Spencer and Aria agreed to let them pick the restaurant. They walked the streets of downtown Rosewood in search of a restaurant that they could agree upon. In their search, they passed a new store that Emily had never seen before. It specialized in baby supplies. There were toys, clothes, bottles, literally everything you could ever need for an infant. Emily would have thought nothing of it had she not seen a familiar blonde inside and she wasn't alone. There was a tall, dark-haired man with his arm around her waist and Alison hadn't lied to her. She was most definitely pregnant. It must have been a big baby because she was already huge. Emily couldn't deny that her ex-girlfriend was very beautiful in her pregnancy. It was hard to remove her eyes from the pregnant woman but once she did, Emily's first instinct was to keep moving. However, she realized her friends weren't following her.

She turned around and noticed the sheepish looks on Hanna and Aria's faces. They looked from Emily to the shop and the brunette knew they wanted to go speak to Alison.

"It's fine. I'll wait out here." Emily said with a sad smile.

"Are you sure?" Hanna asked. "It's just, we haven't seen her since her wedding. Spencer has, but Aria and I haven't."

"Really, it is fine. I'll be fine out here." Emily assured.

"I'll stay with her. We will be alright." Spencer added as she practically pushed the other two women toward the entrance of the store.

Emily couldn't watch her friends interacting with the blonde, so she turned her back and stared at the ground only to have Spencer's arm draped over her shoulder. It was comforting but it still didn't make her feel any better.

Alison was too busy adding supplies to her basket to notice who had entered the store, which is why she was completely caught off guard when she was approached by the beaming faces of her friends.

"Hanna, Aria!"

"Hey, Ali," Aria said as she hugged the blonde, being followed by Hanna.

"I didn't know you were in town yet." The pregnant woman happily exclaimed.

"I only arrived a couple of days ago," Aria explained.

"And I got in last night," Hanna added.

"It's great to see you two," Alison said as she tried to shift her shopping basket to her other arm only to be intercepted by her husband who took it off her hands.

"I'll give you a moment. I'm just going to look over by the high chairs. It was lovely seeing you ladies again." He said with a smile before walking away.

"It really is great to see you two. I've already seen Spencer a few times. I thought she would be with you two."

"Um," Aria awkwardly began but didn't know what else to say. Thankfully Hanna was there, though she had no tact.

"She is. She's outside keeping Emily company." She wiggled her eyebrows causing Alison to blush.

Aria could have facepalmed. Alison's eyes shot to the front window and there she was. There stood Emily Fields. Her back was facing Alison but that was without a doubt the woman who stole her heart all those years ago. She would recognize Emily from any angle. Alison averted her gaze and instead stared at the floor. It wasn't easy knowing that Emily was so close, yet she couldn't even speak to her.

Alison cleared her throat before looking at the two women in front of her, wanting to change the subject. "Let's meet up soon. We can go out for dinner or something."

They agreed, and Aria hugged the pregnant woman as best as she could before joining the others outside. However, Hanna lingered around for a moment. She glanced in all directions to ensure they were alone.

"I see you are no longer in your first trimester. . . Yet you didn't make good on your promise."

Alison rolled her eyes. "Would you relax. I've got it under control. Why don't you give me the benefit of the doubt instead of jumping to conclusions?"

"It's easy to do when you are parading your husband around in front of Emily."

"Excuse me, but we needed some items for our baby. I didn't realize Emily would be here at this exact moment. I didn't even know she was in town yet."

"You would have known if you had left Elliott already." The blonde pointed out with raised eyebrows.

Alison was quickly growing frustrated and furrowed her brows when Hanna began cheerfully smiling.

"It really was great to see you, Ali. Can't wait to catch up later."

Alison was confused until she felt Elliott come up beside her.

"Yeah, can't wait." The pregnant woman replied as she watched her friend exit the building.

Once Hanna rejoined the group, they left the store and continued on their mission to find a restaurant. They walked down the streets of Rosewood and Hanna tried filling the awkward silence with mindless chatter, but Emily was hearing none of it. Her mind was focused on how beautiful Alison was and how happy she seemed. Emily didn't think that pregnant women were ugly by any means, but she had never seen one that she thought was breathtaking. She had a flashback to a simpler time in her life. A time when Alison wanted to have a baby with her instead of the person she married.

 _ **"Hey, Ali. What are you up to?" Emily said as she entered their bedroom.**_

 _ **Alison was already in her pajamas, curled up on her side of the bed with her phone in hand. She was wearing the most adorable smile and Emily wanted to know what was making her girlfriend so happy. She loved anything that made Alison genuinely happy.**_

 _ **"I was just looking around on social media and I found some pictures of my new little cousin. She is a few months old and she is the cutest thing I have ever seen." Alison gushed as Emily took her place on the bed.**_

 _ **Alison scooted closer to her lover and extended her arm. "See, isn't she precious."**_

 _ **Emily smiled and nodded. "She really is. She has pretty eyes."**_

 _ **Emily liked babies. She never had any issues with them. They are so tiny and innocent and only wanted to be loved. How could you not like them, but that didn't change the fact that Emily had no urge to become a mother. She had heard many women talk about how they craved being a mother, almost as if it was a necessity but Emily couldn't relate. She never looked at a baby and thought 'I have to have one.'**_

 _ **"I wonder what our babies are going to look like." Alison offhandedly commented as she continued looking at more pictures of her cousin.**_

 _ **"I guess we will never really know," Emily said as she snuggled close to the blonde, resting her head on her chest.**_

 _ **"What do you mean? You don't want to have children?"**_

 _ **"I never felt the need for that. I don't have those motherly urges. I mean, yeah babies are cute, but they aren't easy to take care of. I just never felt that they were worth it." Emily explained.**_

 _ **Alison physically deflated. She knew that not having children wasn't an option for her and she hoped that one day Emily would change her mind.**_

 _ **"So, us having children together is completely off the table? No room for compromise?" Alison pressed, not liking where this conversation could possibly lead.**_

 _ **"Ali, we are in our early twenties. We are too young to think about kids." Emily deflected.**_

 _ **"Not necessarily. Most people in their early twenties know if they want to have children someday. Em, this is important to me. I can't miss out on being a mother."**_

 _ **"Ali, I really don't want to talk about this. I just want to hold you and get some rest." Emily was ready to beg if she had to, but Alison wasn't going to budge.**_

 _ **"Emily, we have to think about things like this. We are adults. We are building a life together. We have to be on the same page when it comes to things like this or else we will just fall apart later."**_

 _ **"We aren't going to fall apart, Ali. We are completely crazy about each other."**_

 _ **"Sometimes love isn't enough when it comes to things like this." Alison huffed.**_

 _ **Emily sat up and stared at her in disbelief. "So, you're saying that if I don't have children with you then we won't work out?"**_

 _ **"Emily, I am not missing out on being a mother for anyone. I have always dreamed of having tiny versions of myself running around and all the amazing experiences that will come with it. I can't deny myself those things. You can't deny me those things."**_

 _ **"This isn't how I imagined this night going." Emily sighed in frustration.**_

 _ **"Neither did I. I mean, we haven't even discussed getting married and here we are fighting over children," Alison said with a bitter laugh.**_

 _ **"Marriage?" Emily breathed out.**_

 _ **"Let me guess, marriage is off the table too?" Alison sarcastically spat but she expected Emily to tell her she was wrong. Instead, the brunette only made things worse.**_

 _ **"It's just a piece of paper, Ali. I can love you for the rest of my life without involving the government." Emily said with an eye roll.**_

 _ **Alison's jaw actually dropped. She was completely at a loss. The woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with looked at everything as a joke. Emily was against those things that she took seriously and held close to her heart. She needed to get away from the other woman and she needed to get away fast because she was afraid of where this conversation was going to lead. Alison climbed out of bed and made her way to their closet. She angrily removed her pajamas and replaced them with jeans and a t-shirt. Emily felt her heart sink to the floor.**_

 _ **"Ali, where are you going? It's getting late. You need to get some sleep."**_

 _ **"I'll never be able to sleep tonight. I need to get out of here for a little while." She said as she opened a drawer and removed a pair of socks only to slam it shut as she sat at the foot of the bed and covered her feet first with socks and then with shoes.**_

 _ **"Please don't go, Ali." Emily pleaded as she got out of bed and followed the blonde into the living room.**_

 _ **"What do you want from me? To just give up on my dreams because they are silly to you? I will resent you for that. God, this is so unhealthy." Alison said as she sat down on the sofa, feeling herself becoming dizzy from all the emotions that were flowing through her. She covered her face with her hands as she tried collecting herself, which never happened because Emily sat next to her and that opened her floodgate of tears. Both women cried and continued their argument until late into the night. Once Alison had enough and realized there was no way they could agree on anything, she left.**_

"Hey, Earth to Emily," Hanna said as she waved her hand in front of the brunette.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Emily said as she came back to reality.

"I said is this restaurant ok with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Emily agreed, though she never actually looked up to see which restaurant Hanna had chosen.

After seeing Alison, along with her very pregnant belly and husband, Emily had no appetite. She kept getting lost in thoughts of the fight that ended their relationship. They all ordered their meals, but Emily was no longer excited about the food. She was eager to get her hands on the large glass of wine that would be accompanying her lunch. Thankfully, the others also ordered adult beverages, so she didn't feel as alone, though she had a feeling they only ordered them because she asked for hers first.

That was one thing she loved about her friends. They could tell when she was hurting, and they let her deal in whatever way she felt was best. They didn't judge her. They gave her all the support she needed. No one asked her to talk about her feelings, though she knew she could if she wanted to. That was the relationship she had with her friends. They were there when she needed them, but they were never overbearing. They never pushed her to do something she wasn't comfortable with and for that she was forever grateful.

Throughout lunch, her friends carried on many different conversations. There wasn't a single moment of silence, which was fine with Emily. The times that she did pay attention to them, she was able to distract herself. The wine was definitely helping her to keep her mind from straying to her ex-lover. The thing Emily loved about alcohol was that it made it difficult for her to focus on memories and made it even easier to concentrate on the things that were directly in front of her. After her second glass of wine, she was finally able to join in on their conversation. Their meals had been finished long ago but apparently, they decided to stick around the restaurant and day drink. Eventually, the group moved to the bar where they ordered their third drinks and they ended up having a great time together. After the emotional distress that Emily had previously felt, she was thankful to be able to let loose with her best friends. She would never be able to explain to the other three just how grateful she was to have them, but she had a feeling they already knew.


	7. Chapter 7

Emily broke her own rule about getting drunk, but at least she was still able to function and properly think for herself. She hadn't been having the best day, though nothing major had happened. Emily had spent the day with her parents, but she started getting stir crazy and needed to get out of the house. Unfortunately, all of her friends were busy. Hanna hadn't answered her text, Aria was doing something with her family, and Spencer was preparing for her wedding. Emily just wanted one night to let loose and she remembered seeing a new club that had opened when she was looking for restaurants the previous day.

Actually, it was the only club in Rosewood, so it was hard to miss. Emily knew she needed a distraction and her old ways began to flood back to her. If there was ever a particularly stressful time in her life when she was in high school, Emily would find herself in bed with another woman. It helped to take her mind off of her troubles for a little while and maybe it was what she needed in order to handle this trip to Rosewood.

Emily wasn't proud of the person she used to be. She had grown up since then and honestly, wanted to settle down with one person but that wasn't happening, and she needed to do something before she went crazy. This was exactly how Emily found herself in a black, skin-tight, long-sleeved dress. It stopped mid-thigh and had a spot cut out for her cleavage to burst through. Emily usually didn't dress up, but she brought the sexy little number with her just in case Hanna wanted to go out, which she was surprised hadn't happened yet.

A cab had dropped her off and Emily made her way into the club completely alone, not that it really could be considered a club. Sure, there was music and a dancefloor, but it wasn't like the clubs she had been to in Texas or the ones she and Alison found in LA. It was much tamer and Emily found herself more interested in the bar than the dancefloor. She had to admit, there was a bigger crowd than she anticipated. Rosewood wasn't exactly a party town, but it seemed as though there wasn't much of a nightlife for people in her age range, so they had flocked to this one place.

Emily wasn't in the mood for a fruity drink, so the moment the bartender gave her attention, which didn't take long at all considering that she looked as though she just stepped out of a magazine, she ordered a glass of scotch. She sipped on her beverage and watched the young people of Rosewood as they danced and drank with their friends. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and the atmosphere quickly lifted Emily's spirits. Her foot bobbed up and down to the beat of the music while she took a rather large gulp of her scotch. Sure, it burned and tasted awful, but Emily wasn't going to make a face. That would make her look weak and she had learned to mask the unpleasantness of alcohol a long time ago.

Emily kept her eyes open for anyone that looked interesting. She may have arrived alone but that didn't mean she would leave alone. She knocked back the last of her drink before sliding the glass across the bar to signal the bartender. He eagerly approached her, maybe a bit too eager.

"Another round?" He asked, and Emily merely nodded.

He filled her glass once more, only this time he added even more of the brown liquor. Emily noticed that he overfilled her glass, but she wasn't going to complain. He looked as though he was going to say something to her, but his attention was captured by a patron who wanted another drink as well. His shoulders shrank down as he walked away from Emily and she was honestly thankful. She didn't feel like talking to the bartender. His company wasn't what she was in search of.

Emily felt her phone buzzing from inside the purse that was resting on her lap. She removed the device and saw that she finally had a message from Hanna. "Sorry it took me so long to respond. There was a fashion emergency back in New York. A high-end client needed me, and I couldn't disappoint. Be back in a few days. Did any of the other girls go out with you? I know clubbing isn't really their scene."

"They are too busy. It's fine, I came by myself. See you soon." Emily replied.

Hanna instantly replied, and she wasn't at all pleased with Emily. "Em, you can't go to a bar alone! Those entitled Rosewood sleaze balls will try and take advantage of you!"

"Relax, mom. I am fine. I moved to Texas all alone, I think I can handle one night in Rosewood by myself." Emily fondly rolled her eyes at her friend's concern. She loved her friend and she knew Hanna had a point, but Emily wasn't worried about anything happening.

"Text me throughout the night so I don't worry!" Hanna demanded.

"Will do." Was all Emily could respond with before the bartender returned to her. If all the corner booths weren't already occupied Emily would have happily vacated the bar but she seemed to be trapped.

"I've never seen you around Rosewood." He said as a conversation starter.

Emily wasn't going to be rude but when she was drinking she was more straightforward than normal.

"That's because I don't live around here." She said while nursing her drink.

"What brings you to Rosewood? It's a pretty small place."

"A wedding." Emily shortly replied. She was in no mood to give this guy details about her life.

"So where are you actually from?" He asked with a smile that Emily assumed was meant to be charming.

"I live in Texas." She replied while scanning her eyes around the club once more.

"Then you are a long way from home. How long will you be in town?" He asked.

"Not much longer." Emily knew she actually had a couple of weeks left in town, but the bartender didn't need to know that. She continued looking around until her eyes landed on a woman at the opposite end of the bar. She seemed to be with a group of guys and girls and no one looked as if they were being particularly flirty with her. She was possibly single and definitely beautiful. She had light brown hair that was pulled into a high ponytail. She was wearing a tight blue dress that wasn't much different from Emily's, though she had to admit that she liked her own dress better. Either way, the woman was beautiful, and Emily wouldn't mind spending the evening with her.

"So, do you have a boyfriend back home?" The bartender asked, shaking Emily out of her thoughts.

"Oh, no. I'm a lesbian. But the woman at the end of the bar. Blue dress. What is she drinking?"

The bartender looked stunned for a moment before following Emily's line of sight.

"Oh, she's drinking an apple martini." He said, not even trying to hide his disappointment.

"Send her another one from me."

The man nodded and walked away, hopefully, to leave Emily alone for the rest of the night.

She watched as he prepared the drink and took it to the woman. She looked surprised for a moment before the bartender nodded his head in Emily's direction. She woman bit her bottom lip before smiling and Emily easily returned it before glancing back down at her drink. The ball was in the other woman's court. Emily was just going to have to play the waiting game. She didn't want to seem too eager.

Of course, she wasn't kept waiting for too long. The woman approached Emily with her already half empty drink in hand, smiling as she hopped onto the available stool. "I wanted to thank you for the drink. That was sweet of you."

"It's my pleasure. I'm Emily." She said with a charming smile, even extending her hand.

The woman softly grasped her hand and smiled even wider when she realized Emily had held on longer than expected. "I'm Dani."

"It's nice to meet you, Dani. I just thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to rather than spending my night drinking alone." Emily said as she released the woman's hand and scooped up her drink, finishing it and once again, sliding it across the bar for the bartender to refill.

"Why are you here alone? I'm sure you wouldn't have a difficult time finding someone to accompany you." The woman asked while slowly eyeing Emily in her skin-tight dress.

"I don't live around here anymore and my friends that are here are currently too busy, so I figured I could go on an adventure by myself. See where the night takes me." Emily said with a charming smile.

"Well, lucky me." Dani was definitely flirting with Emily.

"So, your friends aren't going to mind that I stole you? I don't want to have an angry boyfriend coming after me." Emily said with a laugh, which the other woman returned.

"No boyfriend at the moment. What about you? It's hard to believe a woman that looks this good is single."

"No boyfriend. That is not my cup of tea if you know what I mean." Emily smirked when she saw Dani putting the pieces together.

"I thought you were coming across a little flirty." She commented with a devilish smile.

"I take it that isn't a problem for you?" Emily wanted to be sure. Nothing was worse than hitting on someone who wasn't interested.

"Not at all. Please, continue." That was all the encouragement that Emily needed.

The two talked for a little longer, which consisted of several more drinks. Emily could officially admit that she was drunk, though she was at least aware of her surroundings.

"So, have you been with another woman before," Emily asked while resting her hand on the woman's knee.

"I have." She said before biting her lip.

"Did you enjoy it?" She asked while sliding her hand a bit higher.

"I don't know. Why don't you refresh my memory?" The woman said as she leaned forward and kissed the corner of Emily's lips.

"That can be arranged. We can go back to your place or get a hotel since I'm not from around here."

"My roommate, the girl at the end of the bar, will more than likely be taking all of our drunk friends back to our place tonight. We will get more privacy in a hotel room. I hear the Radley is pretty nice." She suggested, and Emily happily laced their fingers together as she slid off the barstool.

"Why don't you let your friends know that you are leaving, and I will take care of the tab and call a cab. I'll meet you out front."

"Sounds good to me." Emily watched as the woman walked away before removing her debit card and flagging down the bartender one last time.

She ordered one last shot of liquor and tossed it back while she waited for the bartender to return with her card. He wasn't so eager to talk to her anymore, which didn't bother Emily. She found it amusing. Thanks to her heels, walking was more difficult than it should have been, but she made it outside of the building where it was much quieter. She pulled out her phone and saw that it was barely nine o'clock. Emily had only been at the club for an hour and it surprised her. She expected to be out for several hours but apparently, that wasn't the case. She didn't mind, it was a bit loud for her taste and now she was finally able to hear so that she could call a cab. Moments after she ended the call, Dani had joined her.

"The cab should be here in a few minutes," Emily said as she wrapped an arm around the other woman's waist.

She looked around the street at the other buildings and shops that were nearby. Almost everything was closed except for another bar that Emily could vaguely see in the distance. There were a few restaurants that were still open, a clothing store that had recently closed and on the corner of the street, she barely saw a post office. Its lights were off, the only thing illuminating it was a streetlight.

Emily was ready to continue studying the streets of Rosewood, but she paused when she saw a familiar figure passing by the post office. The person began walking in her direction, if you would call it walking. It was slightly like waddling because of the oversized belly. Of course, Emily would run into Alison when she was drunk. She turned her gaze away from the blonde, not wanting to make awkward eye contact. Instead, she gave her attention to the woman she would be spending the evening with.

"I wish the cab would hurry. I'm tempted to take you right here." Emily purred while leaning forward to playfully nip at the woman's neck.

Dani giggled as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, not complaining as the woman practically devoured her neck. Emily had to admit that she wanted Alison to see her like this, with someone else. It was childish, but she was drunk, and she wanted Alison to feel the way she did. Emily went a little over the top as she slid her hands down the woman's back and squeezed her backside. She kissed her way to Dani's lips and she was fully prepared to deepen it when she felt something tapping her shoulder.

She turned around and was met with the glaring, blue eyes of Alison. "Em, what are you doing?"

"Just having a little fun." Emily slightly slurred.

"Who is this?" Dani asked.

"This is Alison. She's an old friend." Emily explained but Alison merely scoffed.

"Old friend, my ass. I am her wife!" Alison held up her hand to reveal a diamond ring to further seal the deal. She realized then that she should have already taken the piece of jewelry off, but after the day she had, her thoughts were scattered.

Emily was stunned. She couldn't begin to form words to explain to Dani that the blonde wasn't telling the truth.

"Wait? How do you have a wife here if you are from Texas? And I thought you said you were single."

"Texas? Emily has never even been to Texas. She lives here in Rosewood with me and our soon-to-be child. Look, Emily. I know becoming a mother is scary, but you can't ditch me and our child whenever we have a disagreement. Please. . . Come back home."

Emily truly had no idea what was even going on. She didn't even bother to stop Dani as she walked away and made her way back into the club. The moment the other woman was gone, Alison smirked.

"Alison! What the hell was that?" Emily asked, she almost wanted to laugh at the situation.

"You think I didn't see what you were doing? I saw you look at me. Then next thing I know you are practically screwing that woman against the wall. You wanted to mess with me and rub it in my face, so I messed with you in return. It's not fun, is it?" Alison said with a laugh, though she was hardly amused.

"How was I supposed to know you were going to be out here tonight?" Emily said, avoiding answering the blonde.

"Did you really think Hanna was going to let you stay out all night getting drunk by yourself?"

Emily furrowed her brows as she tried to understand the situation. "Hanna called you?"

"Yeah, she said you were being stupid and all the other girls were unavailable, so she asked me to make sure some jerk didn't take advantage of you."

 _ **Alison was relaxing in her bed, loving the peace and quiet after her stressful morning. She had her nose buried in a book, attempting to relax her mind so that she could get some sleep. However, her peace was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Alison was tempted to ignore it, assuming it was just Elliott, but curiosity made her look at the screen to see that it was Hanna instead. The second Alison answered the phone she heard the worried voice of her friend.**_

 _ **"Hey, I don't know if you even care but Emily is being pretty dumb right now."**_

 _ **"What do you mean, 'if I even care.' That's not the best way to start a conversation." Alison replied with furrowed brows.**_

 _ **"I wasn't sure, considering you are still with your husband," Hanna said with an edge to her tone.**_

 _ **Alison sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Who says I am still with him."**_

 _ **"I saw you two yesterday. You looked pretty cozy."**_

 _ **"You're really starting to get on my nerves." Alison deadpanned.**_

 _ **"Anyway, I don't know if you care or not, but Emily couldn't get any of the other girls to go out tonight and I am in New York, so she decided to go out by herself. I know I may be overreacting, but I also know she will be drinking and anything can happen to a woman who is all alone in a bar. Especially when she is wasted."**_

 _ **"Which bar is she at?" Alison said as she instantly crawled out of bed in search of some warmer clothing.**_

 _ **"She is at that new club. I can't remember the name."**_

 _ **"I know the one you're talking about. I'll go drag her out." Alison said as she tossed some jeans onto her bed, followed by a sweater.**_

 _ **"I wasn't sure if you would be able to. I didn't know if Elliott would like it or not." Hanna pushed.**_

 _ **"Knock it off Hanna, Elliott isn't even here."**_

 _ **"Oh, yeah? You finally kick him out?" Hanna teased, though she wasn't amused.**_

 _ **"I didn't have to. He left on his own." Alison calmly replied.**_

 _ **"Wait, he left you?" Hanna asked in shock.**_

 _ **"No. I told you, I wanted to get through my first trimester with this baby before I called it off. I also knew Spencer's wedding was soon and that Emily would be coming home. So, I waited until she was here. Until I knew there was no turning back."**_

 _ **"So, you ended it with him? What did you tell him?" Hanna was now fully invested in the conversation.**_

 _ **"I would love to stay and talk to you about this, but I need to go make sure Emily is alright. Besides, this is a conversation I should be having with her instead. I'll fill you in later." Alison said, quickly ending the call while Hanna tried protesting.**_

"What were you thinking going out and getting wasted by yourself?" Alison said with a raised voice.

"Clearly I wasn't alone." Emily scoffed.

"She is a complete stranger. Can you even tell me her last name?" Alison asked with a frown.

Emily only shook her head. "Look, Ali. You didn't have to come out here just for me. You're pregnant. You don't need to be walking the streets at night, let alone going into a bar."

"I can walk just fine, and I can go into a bar. Judging by the no smoking sign on the door, I'd say I would be fine." Alison said as she crossed her arms. "Just because we aren't together doesn't mean I want you getting hurt."

"I appreciate your concern, but you really didn't have to hunt me down. You have more important things to worry about."

Alison chose to ignore Emily's last comment. "Look, I know you probably can't feel it because you are wasted, but it is freezing out here and you barely have any clothes on," Emily smirked at Alison's comment but the blonde continued as if she hadn't noticed. "And you are too drunk to drive. You're coming with me."

"Ok, mom," Emily said with an eye roll.

"Don't you sass me," Alison growled as she began stomping in the direction of her car.

Emily smiled at how stern the blonde could be. She could tell Alison was going to be a great mother. Emily knew she didn't have to leave with Alison. She could have taken the cab whenever it showed up but for some reason, she followed anyway. She stumbled a bit but otherwise, she made it to the passenger seat with no issues. Alison didn't say anything else as she started driving. Emily was thankful that her parents didn't live too far away, so she wouldn't have to endure the awkward silence for very long. She stared out the window and looked at all the buildings as they passed. Emily noticed there was a lot of people out. She had to keep reminding herself that it wasn't that late. She continued looking out the window, feeling a bit more relaxed once she saw the familiar street in the distance. However, confusion took over when she realized Alison wasn't slowing down.

"Um, Ali. You do remember where my parents live, right?" Emily asked, causing the woman to glare in her direction for a few seconds.

"Don't be ridiculous. Like I could ever forget that."

"Then where are we going?"

"My house," Alison answered as if Emily should have known. "I know you're an adult but I'm not sending you home so Pam and Wayne have to worry about your drunk ass all night. You will be lucky if you make it up the stairs and I certainly can't help you climb them."

Emily knew it was true, but she wasn't prepared to go to Alison's. She couldn't stay in the same place as the other woman's husband. That would be too awkward. She also didn't have a toothbrush or pajamas. Emily knew she would end up sleeping in a pair of Alison's, which was simultaneously exciting and dreadful. Emily didn't ask any more questions during the trip to Alison's. She kept her eyes open, wondering exactly where the blonde lived and for some reason, she wanted to remember. It was dark out, but the fresh snow on the ground was reflecting the moonlight, so it was easy for Emily to make out her surroundings. After another five minutes of driving, Alison finally parked in front of a beautiful two-story house. It was lined with red bricks and the neighborhood seemed nice. Emily was glad that Alison lived somewhere comfortable, especially with a baby on the way.

Alison was the first one out of the car. Emily was thankful that the blonde was so slow because it would have been difficult for her to catch up in her drunken state, not to mention the fact that she was wearing heels. She followed Alison to the front door and smiled at the fact that the blonde decorated the porch with windchimes, the same as her mother did. Emily eagerly removed her heels and left them by the front door as she began to wander around the spacious living room. Everything was clean, shiny, and new. Alison's home was very modern, which didn't surprise her.

Alison removed her coat and hung it on a rack by the door before motioning for Emily to follow her. "Come on. You can't stay in that dress all night."

Emily followed Alison into what she assumed was her and Elliott's bedroom. She frowned because this was the last place she wanted to be. Usually, she would be able to hold herself together better, but Emily didn't do well to mask her feelings when she had been drinking. She stared at the bed and scowled, knowing that was where they slept together. Alison noticed and smiled, deciding to tease Emily about it. "Relax, he isn't here tonight. You can wipe that look off your face, killer."

Emily blushed, which was worse than normal because of the alcohol that was already warming her body. It thrilled Alison to know that Emily was still jealous and protective.

"That dresser behind you, look in the bottom drawer and pick a pair of pajamas," Alison instructed while she picked up a pair for herself that was already on the foot of her bed, which happened to be a plain grey tank top and a pair of tiny shorts.

Emily crouched down and sorted through the drawer in search of a pair that she would be comfortable in. She was a little taller than Alison, so she didn't want a pair of pants, but they could wear the same size shorts. Shirts too, or they could in the past. Before Alison had a four-month pregnant belly. Emily already had a t-shirt in hand when she reached the bottom of the drawer. She found a familiar pair of sweatpants that actually would fit her, considering that they were hers, or they used to be. She smiled as she closed the drawer and stood, ready to change when she noticed that Alison was completely bare. The only thing the blonde was wearing was a pair of panties and Emily dropped her clothes as she shamelessly stared.

Alison knew she should have changed in the restroom, but she felt the need to tease Emily after that show she put on earlier. Emily didn't bother looking away. She studied the blonde and made a note of the differences in her body. Obviously, her stomach was much larger than Emily had ever seen it and her nipples were a few shades darker. Her thighs were also thicker, and Emily felt herself walking closer to the other woman.

"Calm down. You act like you have never seen me naked before." Alison teased as she pulled the tank top over her head.

"I've never seen you like this. I've never seen any pregnant woman naked before." Emily admitted.

"Yeah, it's not that great. I feel like a whale." Alison said with a chuckle, but Emily continued walking until she was facing the blonde.

"Not that great? Alison, your body. It's stunning." Now it was Alison's turn to blush.

She hadn't felt beautiful in a while. Sure, Elliott told her all the time how pretty she was but hearing if from Emily was different. She knew the tanned woman was drunk, but she still believed her.

"Thanks. I don't feel that stunning but it's worth it for this little guy."

"So, you're having a boy?" Emily asked as she reached her hand out and pressed it against Alison's stomach, completely ignoring any rules of personal space.

"I am. I think he is going to be big because I'm a little larger than most women at this stage in their pregnancy. I just worry because I have no idea what to do with a little boy. I guess I have a lot to learn."

"You will be perfect," Emily whispered as she began to move her hand up and down.

Alison wasn't sure if her son was moving or if she had a bad case of the butterflies but either way, it was a pleasant feeling. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment before she cleared her throat.

"So, did you find something to sleep in?"

"Oh, right," Emily said as she turned around and picked the clothing items off the floor. "I found MY pajamas."

"You can wear them tonight but those are mine," Alison said, crossing her arms.

"They say 'Rosewood High Swim Team.' You weren't on the swim team." Emily said with a laugh.

"I don't care. They are mine and you can't have them back. The second this kid pops out I'll be able to fit into them again."

Emily didn't bother hiding her smile at the fact that Alison still slept in her clothes. That had been one of Emily's favorite things about their relationship. Alison could have all the clothes in the world, yet she always wore Emily's.

"Fine, keep them. I only need them for one night. I have no use for pajamas anyway." Emily commented.

"Let me guess, you have no use for them because some woman rips your clothes off every night," Alison said with a bad attitude.

"No, but I do usually sleep naked. I got used to being completely alone, so after my nightly shower, I just stopped getting dressed. I'm usually too tired to do anything at night anyway. Those exercise classes kick my ass." Emily explained, which made Alison feel better.

Alison placed her phone on the charger, leaving the device on her nightstand before changing the subject. "Come on, I'll get you a spare toothbrush."

Emily followed Alison to the restroom and soon she was scrubbing away the dull aftertaste of scotch from her mouth. When Emily began brushing her teeth, Alison excused herself to ensure that the house was locked, and the alarm was set. While Alison was gone, Emily helped herself to the other woman's makeup remover. She finished her nightly routine before the blonde had a chance to return, so Emily decided to go back into the bedroom to get out of her dress and into her old sweats. She stepped into the pants first, which looked silly because her upper half was still covered by her dress. Emily then reached behind her back in an attempt at pulling down the zipper, but she was a bit uncoordinated. Her fingers grazed it, but she couldn't quite grasp the small piece of metal. Emily stuck her tongue out in concentration and tried countless times to reach it before laughter ceased her movements.

"Would you like some help?" Alison asked with a chuckle.

"I almost have it," Emily replied with a scowl but Alison only laughed harder.

"Sure, you do, Em." Alison reached up and slowly dragged the zipper down, being reminded of the first time she and Emily spent time together outside of school. Only this time, their roles were reversed.

 _ **The blonde slowly turned around and pressed her backside against Emily. The brunette's breath hitched as she froze. She had no idea what Alison was up to, but the feeling sent jolts of excitement between her thighs.**_

 _ **"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to unzip me?" Alison teased with a slight wiggle to her hips and Emily almost groaned at how great it felt. She wanted to put her hands on the blonde, any and everywhere. She wanted to feel Alison pressed against her just like this so she could slide her hands up her dress and rub the blonde until she fell apart. It was all too tempting, the way Alison's plump backside pressed against her, but she knew she needed to behave.**_

 _ **Alison knew she shouldn't be treating her new friend this way, but it was fun to watch the other woman squirm. If the rumors were true, Emily always got any woman she ever wanted and it was amusing for Alison to rub it in her face that the brunette could not, in fact, have her. She thought it would be healthy for Emily to be taken down a notch or two.**_

 _ **Emily bit her bottom lip as she quickly unzipped the dress. She slid away from the blonde and exited the dressing room without another glance at all of Alison's exposed, flawless skin. Alison smiled and shook her head at her friend's behavior as she dressed herself.**_

Alison couldn't stop herself as she stared at her ex-girlfriend's naked back. Emily's muscles were very much defined, more so than when they were together. She assumed it came with the territory of being a swim instructor. She was so tempted to reach out and touch the exposed skin but managed to hold herself back. Once she started touching Emily, she wouldn't be able to stop herself. That would inevitably lead to questions from the brunette and that was a conversation Alison wasn't willing to have while the other woman was completely wasted. Alison cleared her throat before excusing herself. "I'm going to go brush my teeth and I will be right back."

While Alison was gone, Emily made herself comfortable. She stretched across the bed, purposefully choosing the side that she knew had to be Alison's. The shorter woman definitely had a side of the bed that she preferred, and Emily knew that wasn't something that would have changed.

Alison took her time getting ready for bed. She needed a moment to collect herself after seeing so much of Emily's skin. It made her feel like a hormonal teenager all over again. When she returned, she saw something she didn't expect. A very drunk Emily Fields was passed out on her bed. She knew it didn't take much for Emily to fall asleep once she had been drinking and there was almost no way of waking her up. Emily was normally a light sleeper but once you put alcohol in her system, you could make any amount of noise and she would never stir. Alison used to joke that she could crash a car next to Emily and she would never wake up.

Alison walked across the room and tugged on the blankets until she was able to get them out from under Emily, who unsurprisingly, didn't even stir. After she covered the sleeping woman and ensured she was tucked in, Alison then took the place beside her ex-lover and covered herself as well. She had the urge to reach out and touch Emily, only this time, she didn't stop herself. She stared at Emily's flawless features and even trailed her fingertip along the tanned woman's jaw before leaning in and placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. Alison made herself comfortable and rested her hand on the brunette's hip, needing some kind of physical contact. This was definitely not how she imagined spending her evening. She thought she would eat some snacks and maybe read a little bit before falling asleep. Nowhere in her wildest imagination did she consider that she would be sharing a bed with Emily Fields this soon.

 **This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I really wanted player Emily to make an appearance, no matter how brief, but I also wanted some jealous Alison. I also know you guys were dying for some Emison interaction. I hope you liked this chapter as much as I did.**


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Alison woke up to the familiar feeling of strong arms wrapped around her body. She smiled as she snuggled deeper into the embrace. She vaguely noted that her limbs were completely tangled with the other person's, which was a huge comfort for her. Somehow, both of her arms were wrapped around the other person's shoulders with one hand tangled in long locks of hair. She groaned, not wanting to wake up. She always loved waking up like this with Emily, but the hardest part was convincing herself to pull away.

"Um, Ali. We should probably get up." A timid voice called out, but the blonde didn't agree.

"No, baby." She grumbled.

"We can't stay here all day." The voice chuckled.

"Five more minutes, Em. Please." Alison pressed her face further into the other woman's neck and placed a soft kiss before drifting off again.

Emily felt her heart flutter and was confused as to what she should do. Her heart ached for the days that she was able to wake up like this, but she knew Alison was so out of it in her sleepy state that she didn't quite realize what she was doing. They remained in this position for a few more minutes before Emily tried waking the blonde once more. It wasn't that she didn't want to keep holding the shorter woman, but Emily didn't want her to be upset when she woke up and realized what they were doing. Alison merely grumbled in her sleep and turned away, pulling Emily's arm until it wrapped around her torso.

Alison's behavior was tugging at her heartstrings. She couldn't help herself as her hand began to wander, really getting a feel of the other woman's protruding stomach. Her hand slowly moved against the fabric of the blonde's shirt and she couldn't help herself when she placed a soft kiss on the pregnant woman's shoulder. She told Alison she couldn't control herself when they were alone, and it wasn't a lie. After a few more pecks to her exposed skin, she finally began to stir. When Alison was finally alert, she was all too aware of what she was doing and how Emily was pressed against her. She knew that there needed to be some serious conversations between them but something about waking up next to Emily made Alison want to skip the conversation and hold the other woman all morning. Especially when the kisses began inching closer to her neck.

Alison cleared her throat and decided to tease Emily about the previous night. "Good morning, drunky."

Emily groaned and nuzzled her face against Alison's neck. "I didn't embarrass myself too badly, did I?"

"That depends on what you consider to be embarrassing. Does dry humping a woman outside of a bar in front of your ex count as embarrassing?"

"Uh. . . Yeah, that isn't my proudest moment." Emily had already forgotten about the other woman but clearly, Alison hadn't. "I am sorry about that, by the way."

"Is that something you do often?" Alison timidly asked, being all too aware of Emily's behavior from the past.

"No, I just. . . I needed some stress relief. I haven't been having the best trip back home."

Alison had a feeling she knew the answer, but she needed to keep this conversation going, so she asked anyway. "What has been bothering you?"

Emily could have brushed it off, but she decided to be honest. "It isn't easy to see you like this. Pregnant. With a husband."

"I am so sorry you had to see us together. I know that is difficult for you. . . I didn't know you were back in town yet. And I especially didn't expect to see you when I was shopping at a baby store." Alison whispered as she turned to face the swimmer. "Were you really going to sleep with that woman?"

"Yes, I was having a horrible day. I got a lot more drunk than I anticipated. I originally just wanted to go out with the girls, but they were all busy and I ended up changing my plans a little. I am glad you stopped me though. I don't want to go back to the way I used to be." Emily timidly whispered the last part.

"Then what do you want?"

"You know what I want," Emily whispered.

"Tell me," Alison also whispered while holding Emily's gaze.

"I told you the last time we talked that I love you. That hasn't changed. I still want to do this with you. I know you are married. I know you don't want to hurt anyone and I understand that. But I can't stop loving you, Ali. I would do anything to fix what I broke all those years ago. I would do anything to hold you like this every single morning. I really do wish we could run away. Just you, me, and the baby."

"We would never be able to run away. I can't take this baby from Elliott." Alison sighed.

"You don't have to. I have done so much thinking since your wedding. . . You say the word and I'll drop everything. I'll come home. We can run away somewhere in Rosewood or one town over. I don't care where we go. I know you said you don't want to do Elliott wrong and that I am too late, but I'm done walking away. I want this. I'm going to fight for you. I don't care if it is wrong of me, and I know this won't be easy for you." Emily took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts.

"I don't expect you to decide right now but the second you tell me to, I will come back. I'll start looking for a house for us and the baby. I'll find a job here and the moment you are ready, we will do this. We can be a family. I'll be a great stepmom and an amazing wife." Emily explained while leaning forward to kiss Alison's forehead.

"You would never be a stepmother to my child. You would be so much more than that." Alison said before deeply exhaling, trying to prevent herself from becoming emotional.

"Fine. Then the little guy can have a dad and two moms. There have been weirder things to happen in this world. Ross and Carol did it on friends." Emily added with a soft laugh.

"That sounds amazing," Alison said with a trembling voice.

Emily reached up and cupped Alison's cheek. "Just think about it. Because it honestly isn't fair to Elliott. You want to be good to him, but it is wrong to love someone else and force it to work with him out of obligation. He deserves to be with the love of his life, and that isn't you. It can't be you because you are mine. Somewhere, there is a woman who he will love in ways that he can't love you. The longer you fake this with him, the longer it will take him to find her."

Alison knew the other woman was right, but Emily had no idea she had already ended things with her husband. She then surprised Emily by suddenly and slowly crawling on top of her.

"Ali," The swimmer whispered in confusion, not at all expecting their conversation to lead to this position.

Alison simply smiled causing Emily to practically melt. She timidly reached up and rested her hands on the blonde's sides, paying close attention to the way Alison's baby bump pressed into her own stomach. Alison then leaned forward and softly connected their lips. They glided against each other so slowly that it could barely be considered movement. This continued this for several minutes, which pulled several quiet whimpers from Emily's throat. When Alison pulled back, the swim coach gently gasped, completely confused by the blonde's behavior.

"Ali, what are you doing?"

She felt the shorter woman chuckle before placing a few kisses on her jaw. "I'm kissing my girl."

Emily felt herself tingling all the way down to her toes.

"Your girl?" She asked while trying to focus on her breathing.

She kissed her way to Emily's ear and whispered, "Do you want to know a secret?"

Emily slightly nodded and Alison continued, "I am so in love with you."

Emily widely grinned, "That's not really a secret."

Alison chuckled before whispering once more, "Do you want to know a real secret?"

Emily nodded more firmly this time, then Alison spoke in the tiniest voice, "I left Elliott."

Emily quickly sat up, which resulted in Alison straddling her lap. They stared at one another in complete silence while Emily let those three words sink in. Her brows were furrowed as she tried to find any sign that the blonde was joking but found nothing but sincerity in the other woman's gaze.

"Are you ok? What happened?" Emily asked while first looking at Alison, then glancing down at her stomach.

Alison felt herself widely smiling. She knew Emily wanted to ask many other questions, but those were the first two she chose.

"We are fine," She replied while grabbing Emily's hand and resting it on her belly. "We are perfect actually."

"Then what happened?"

"After the last time you and I spoke, I had a lot of thinking to do as well. It didn't take me long to realize that I need you. I want you to come home, Emily. I would gladly run away with you, anywhere but I really can't take this baby from Elliott. At first, I didn't think he was happy about it, but he must have been shocked because now, he seems genuinely excited. I can't take that from him. I have done some horrible things in my life, but I can't be that heartless."

"I understand. I am not asking you to do that. I was serious about this child having three parents. I will gladly help you raise him. . . We really can be a family." Emily added the last part with a timid smile.

"You don't know how happy that makes me," Alison said while hugging Emily close.

"So, tell me what happened exactly." Emily requested while tightening her arms around the blonde and resting her head on Alison's shoulder.

 _ **"Alison, you can't be serious," Elliott said while he slumped forward on the sofa.**_

 _ **"I am, Elliott. I am just not happy." Alison whispered while wiping her eyes.**_

 _ **"Did I do something wrong?" He asked while trying to make eye contact, but she avoided his gaze.**_

 _ **"You really didn't. I am just not happy. I can't force it. I tried because I never wanted to hurt you. I wanted to be everything you deserved because you are such a good person. But my heart just isn't in this. I feel like something is missing." Alison knew that particular something was Emily, but she wanted to spare him the pain of knowing she loved someone else.**_

 _ **"You're really serious right now?" He asked in disbelief as a few tears leaked down his face.**_

 _ **"I am." She softly breathed out.**_

 _ **They spent the next hour with Elliott trying to work things out with the blonde, but she remained strong. He asked her what she wanted to do about the baby, how they would raise it. These were questions she didn't have the answer to. He had many questions she couldn't or didn't want to answer and it was mentally exhausting. As Alison had this torturous conversation with Elliott, she closed her eyes and pictured Emily's face and knew it was all going to be worth it. After Elliott finally realized he wasn't making any progress with his wife, he disappeared into their bedroom, leaving Alison alone to collect herself. However, she didn't have much time because he returned several minutes later, rolling a large bag of luggage behind him.**_

 _ **"I'm going to go back home for a while. I think I need to be with my family right now. Maybe this time apart will help you to change your mind. I really hope it does because I want this to work. I just don't know what else to say or do."**_

 _ **Alison wanted to say something in response. She wanted to say anything to make him feel better, but she couldn't take his pain away.**_

 _ **"My mind is made up." She whispered and he instantly slumped.**_

 _ **"Then would you mind driving me to the airport? I'm not sure how long I will be gone, so I don't want to leave my car there." He sadly requested, and Alison only nodded.**_

 _ **The drive to the airport was awkward and it felt as though it took forever to arrive. They made very minimal conversation, too emotionally exhausted to speak more than necessary. There was nothing left to say after the hours they spent discussing their break up. When Alison made her way to the airport drop off, she parked the car and Elliott took his time removing his luggage from the trunk in hopes that she would change her mind. He stood beside the car after shutting the door, praying she would look in his direction but instead, Alison kept her eyes fixed in front of her as she drove away, leaving him behind without a second glance. She wasn't trying to be cold toward him, but she didn't want to see that heartbroken look on his face again. It hurt her, but not enough for her to change her mind.**_

"Wow," Emily breathed out as she leaned back to make eye contact with the pregnant woman. "We're really going to do this?"

"We are," Alison confirmed before leaning forward and placing a lingering kiss to Emily's lips.

After she pulled back, Emily started rambling.

"Where will we live? I need to start looking for a job. I need to talk to my boss. Oh, there is so much to do. I need to tell my parents. What will the baby call me? Man, Hanna is going to love this."

Alison's laughter silenced Emily's thought process. "Emily, relax. We have time to figure things out. However, I have been looking for houses. I don't want you to feel obligated to live with me. You can get your own place if you want. . . "

Alison was ready to keep talking but Emily quickly cut her off. "Stop right there. We are doing this. Together. We are going to be a family. Of course, I want to share a home with you. I never want to sleep another night without you by my side."

Alison blushed, "In that case, there are six houses in Rosewood that I have looked at and they are all gorgeous. They are in nice neighborhoods. They have decent sized yards. They are all great and I can't choose between them."

Emily smiled as she rubbed her hands up and down Alison's back. "You really have been planning this, huh?"

"I have. I've just missed you so much. I couldn't wait to tell you. I wanted to last night, but you weren't in a state of mind to have this conversation."

"How long have you been planning this?" Emily asked as she leaned forward to press a kiss to Alison's exposed collarbone.

"Since the day after my wedding."

Emily jerked her head back and her jaw dropped. "You have been planning this for months and never told me?"

"Hanna told me not to." Alison defended with raised hands.

"Wait, Hanna knew and she didn't tell me either." Emily was frustrated but instantly calmed down when Alison bit her bottom lip and batted her eyelashes.

"Hanna was looking out for you. She didn't trust me to go through with it. I told her I needed time to think, to process everything, to make plans, and to let my baby grow strong and healthy before I put this kind of stress on him. She made me promise not to tell you because she didn't want me to get your hopes up."

"I want to be upset with her, but I can't be when her heart was in the right place."

"She has actually been riding my ass about this," Alison stated with a chuckle. "I think I'm going to call her and tell her Elliott and I worked things out. Just to see how badly she takes it."

"Now you're just being mean," Emily said with a loving smile.

"You know it would be entertaining."

"I've missed you so much," Emily said with a fond smile while shaking her head at the blonde's antics.

"I'm never going to miss you like this again. I don't care what we disagree on. I don't care how major it is. We will find a way to work through it. My heart can't take losing you ever again."

"We won't have to disagree on anything major. I will give you anything you want. I will give you fifty babies if it makes you happy. I will carry all of them. I will marry you anywhere you want. I will give you the world, Alison. I promise."

Alison rested one hand on Emily's jaw and the other on her own stomach before whispering. "I have my whole world right here. I don't need anything else."

Emily felt herself blushing before turning her head to kiss Alison's palm. "So, about those houses. Can I see them?"

Alison's face lit up at the thought of sharing a home with Emily once again. "Yes, I have tons of pictures on my laptop. I will show you all of them."

"We have so much to do, but all I want is stay right here with you," Emily said as she leaned forward to kiss Alison's neck.

The teacher practically melted into Emily's arms. "I think that can be arranged."

She tilted her head to the side and Emily smirked as she leaned forward and kissed the other woman's neck more firmly. When she heard Alison's breath hitch, she decided to tease her lover. She licked the side of Alison's neck and it had its desired effect. The pregnant woman shivered with excitement because this time, they didn't have to stop. She and Emily could do anything they wanted because they were together again. Nothing was looming over their heads. There would be no guilty consciences. They were both on the same page and finally, after so many years of being apart, they could touch and kiss each other anywhere they wanted.

 _ **Finally, a happy chapter! The next one begins where this left off. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**As I said in the last author's note, this picks up where the previous chapter left off. Enjoy.**

Emily continued to slowly but passionately kiss the other woman's neck. Alison felt herself becoming more aroused than normal, a lot faster than she was used to as well. Emily had barely touched her and already the brunette was driving her insane. Alison felt herself blushing because of the attention. She hadn't realized how badly she wanted someone to treat her like this. Not just someone, but Emily. In truth, she hadn't allowed Elliott to touch her. He tried, but every time, Alison would pretend to be nauseated. Morning sickness had become her favorite excuse. Once she made her mind up that she was going to find a way to be with Emily, she couldn't stomach the thought of being intimate with anyone else.

Emily's hands roamed across the pregnant woman's thighs while Alison gently scratched her shoulders. There wasn't anywhere else in the world that either woman wanted to be. When Alison felt the brunette's hands slide so far up her things that they made their way into her shorts, she cupped Emily's jaw with both hands and firmly pressed their lips together. Alison whimpered when Emily's thumbs grazed her inner thighs, so close to the spot she needed to be touched.

They both eagerly opened their mouths into the kiss but managed to keep it slow and steady. Alison's hips began to gently grind down onto Emily's lap when she felt the brunette's tongue pressing against her own. Both women felt overwhelmed by this situation. By finally being able to kiss and touch. Alison felt her eyes watering and tightly closed them, but it was no use. The tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks until they landed on Emily's. However, the brunette didn't stop kissing her lover. She simply wrapped her arms tightly around Alison and held her as close as possible.

They were clinging to one another while they kissed for what could have been hours. They weren't worried about the time or anything else. They only cared about the moment they were sharing. Feeling brave, Emily reached her hands up and tugged on Alison's tank top straps until they slid down her shoulders. She then kissed the newly exposed skin with such tenderness that Alison almost started another round of tears. Emily dragged her bottom lip from the shorter woman's shoulder to her neck, then licked her way to the top of Alison's chest. Once she covered every inch of Alison's shoulders and collar bones with her lips, Emily then tugged the rest of the garment until it was resting below the blonde's stomach.

Sure, Emily had seen Alison's breasts the night before but this time she didn't have alcohol to cloud her mind and vision. She slightly leaned back in order to get a better look at the half-naked woman and she felt her mouth beginning to water. She glanced up at Alison and briefly made eye contact before leaning forward and covering the swell of her breasts with her lips and tongue. Her blue eyes fluttered closed, perfectly content to sit back and allow Emily to kiss her entire body.

When Emily noticed that Alison seemed to be in a state of bliss, she repositioned their bodies so that the blonde was able to rest on her back. She then resumed her previous activity of placing open-mouthed kisses against the top of her breasts. Alison could feel her heart pounding, but she didn't move an inch. Emily too felt her heart rate increasing. She wanted this so badly. Alison whimpered when Emily's lips traveled teasingly close to her nipple and the sound sent tingles straight to Emily's center. However, she was going to take her time with the blonde. Emily knew Alison wanted her to kiss just a little lower, but she was enjoying the teasing. She lightly kissed and licked every part of Alison's chest and she could feel the shorter woman slightly trembling.

Emily looked down at the teacher's breasts and noticed how much larger they had become. She decided that she had gone long enough without touching them, so she reached one hand up and brushed her thumb over Alison's already stiff bud. The blonde began obviously trembling with desire as she released a breathy moan. She didn't expect Emily to lean forward and suck on her other nipple, but she welcomed it nonetheless with another audible moan. Emily manipulated the woman's swollen globes and Alison could already feel her core throbbing.

She reached behind Emily and pushed the brunette's face further into her breasts. She licked, nibbled, and sucked and Alison swore she could fall apart from that alone. Emily's mouth was wet and warm. Alison knew she was in trouble because she loved it too much. The sound she was producing was completely animalistic and Emily was in heaven. She squeezed the blonde's breasts with both hands while lapping her tongue back and forth between each nipple.

She continued this while Alison's hands rested on the back of her head to ensure the brunette didn't stop lavishing them with attention. Alison gently scratched Emily's scalp as encouragement and the swim instructor wanted to keep her lips latched to Alison's breasts, but she also wanted to put her mouth to work elsewhere. Feeling her confidence spike, Emily sat up and locked eyes with Alison as she easily removed every piece of the pregnant woman's clothing. The blonde bit her lip, knowing all too well the pleasure she was about to receive. She was beyond ready, as her body was in need of release. It felt vital to her existence. Emily leaned forward and kissed the other woman on the lips once again. They both moaned as their mouths opened and their tongues instantly began massaging the other. Alison enjoyed the kiss for several moments before she pulled away and looked up at the brunette with lidded eyes.

"Please, Emily. I need you." Alison husked as she rested her forehead against the other woman's.

Emily kissed her way to Alison's neck, not wanting this moment to end so soon. She teased the blonde as she slowly kissed down her body, paying extra attention to her protruding belly. Emily made sure to kiss every inch of her lover's stomach and Alison felt completely desired. The tanned woman looked up and winked before disappearing below the baby bump. She easily spread Alison's legs and instantly noticed that the other woman was drenched. Emily licked her lips before pressing them against the blonde's inner thigh, needing to distract herself before she dove in.

Alison bit her bottom lip and focused on the way Emily was slowly kissing her way higher and closer to her soaked core. When Emily found herself merely inches away from her destination, she stopped and sucked on the tender flesh that would normally be hidden beneath the other woman's panty line. She was so close that she could feel Alison's moisture gathering on the corner of her mouth. Emily pulled back and licked her lips, faintly tasting the other woman. That was when Emily reached her breaking point. She leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to the teacher's clit, holding her lips in place as she savored the moment.

The pregnant woman's body surged forward, needing more than a teasing touch. Emily was happy to comply. Normally she would tease Alison for much longer but now was not the time. She flattened her tongue against the other woman, moaning when Alison's unique flavor washed over her taste buds. Emily opened her mouth, taking in as much of Alison as she could while covering the same area with her tongue. Alison didn't want to admit that she was close, considering the fact that Emily had been going down on her for less than a minute, but her hormones were taking over her mind and body.

"God, Emily. Just like that." Alison groaned.

Emily smiled as she flicked her ex-lover's clit with the tip of her tongue. Being with Alison was exactly the same as it had been all those years ago with one exception. Emily was no longer able to look up and make eye contact with the other woman. There was a barrier between them, but it didn't turn Emily off. She was very much still attracted to the other woman. The tanned woman began stroking Alison's thighs while sucking on her throbbing clit and she knew it was almost over. Alison was being exceedingly vocal about her pleasure, though most of it was breathy whimpers and whispers of love and encouragement.

"I'm not going to last. . . So good." Alison said between moans.

It felt so right to be intimate with Emily. She knew it would always feel right. Alison grasped two handfuls of Emily's hair when she felt her orgasm creeping up on her. She needed something to hold when she finally fell apart. Emily flattened her tongue and roughly licked while Alison became louder about her pleasure. She seemed to truly be enjoying herself and Emily was proud that she was able to give Alison such immense pleasure.

"God, Emily. . . I'm going to come!" Alison cried out while fisting Emily's already tangled locks.

Emily gave it everything she had and soon she felt the other woman bucking against her mouth. She loved when the other woman did that. The blonde's juices spread all over her lips and chin and something about it completely turned Emily on. Alison's eyes were tightly shut as her body felt like it was crumbling and floating away. She felt completely weightless while Emily was between her legs, which was nothing new. Emily always knew just how to touch her.

Alison felt her orgasm peak and she lost her voice. She couldn't speak. She couldn't moan. She couldn't even breathe as she felt Emily's tongue rapidly flicking against her most sensitive area. Those familiar waves of pleasure splashed over her body and Alison felt satisfied for the first time in months, years. It was hard to remember the last time she came so hard.

Finally, Alison's body stopped writhing and Emily took that as her cue to untangle herself from the other woman. She placed a few kisses on Alison's belly before wrapping a protective arm around her. Emily placed a kiss to Alison's shoulder and then her cheek, smiling widely as she watched the other woman attempting to come back down to earth. Her breathing was ragged, and her cheeks were a darker shade than normal. It was a beautiful sight.

"Em," Alison whispered as she pulled the taller woman in for a kiss.

It was deeper and a bit sloppier than before and Alison whimpered as Emily's tongue began exploring her mouth. She was getting turned on all over again and not one part of her body wanted to stop.

"Emily," Alison mumbled as she tried to catch her breath. "If you don't stop I'm going to want it all over again."

"That doesn't sound like a problem to me." The swimmer breathed out with a chuckle.

That was all the convincing Alison needed. She propped on her elbow while connecting her lips with Emily's. She rested her body on top of Emily's, pinning the brunette to the bed. She kissed her slowly and deeply while sliding her hand up the front of the other woman's t-shirt. She didn't hesitate as she began kneading the taller woman's breast. It caused Emily to break the kiss in order to gasp, but Alison quickly reconnected their lips. The blonde gently pinched Emily's stiff bud and lightly tugged and the brunette felt her head roll to the side.

Alison took advantage of the taller woman's exposed neck and began devouring it. She kissed every inch of available skin and Emily was in love with the feeling. Every time Alison's lips pressed to her neck Emily could feel the tingles spread all the way to her toes. It was intense and overwhelming in the best way. Alison then pressed her palm against Emily's breast as she spread her fingers out to cover as much territory as possible before massaging the tender piece of flesh. Emily felt her legs spreading and Alison took that as her cue to nestle between them.

She then sat up and tugged on Emily's shirt until the tanned woman followed her, sitting up only long enough to have the garment removed before Alison was guiding her onto her back once again. Alison rested on her elbows while grabbing two handfuls of Emily's breasts, thankful that the other woman never slept with a bra. It was something she always enjoyed about the swimmer. She then leaned down and licked the space between them, tasting the thinnest layer of sweat that had formed throughout their activity. Emily's hands rested on Alison's hips, roughly massaging while the blonde took her time lavishing her chest with attention.

Alison removed her right hand as she kissed her way to Emily's nipple, covering it with the softest pecks. She knew she was teasing the brunette, but she had a good reason for it. She knew that Emily wouldn't last long once she began to really touch her and she wanted to drag out the moment for as long as possible. The teacher then began to softly drag her tongue from the bottom of Emily's breast, over her nipple, and up to her clavicle before kissing her way back down. She could hear Emily's breath becoming unsteady and she noted how weak the brunette's grip was becoming on her hips.

She wanted to make Emily even weaker, so she opened her mouth and took in as much of the tanned woman's breast as possible while firmly pressing her tongue to the area. She alternated between flicking she stiff bud with the tip of her tongue, roughly sucking, and firmly dragging her tongue against it.

"Ali, please touch me," Emily whined, having no problem begging.

Alison didn't remove her mouth from Emily's chest as she slid her hand down the other woman's toned body. She dipped her hand beneath the elastic of Emily's sweatpants and panties, not bothering with removing the garments. She instantly slid two fingers into the other woman's dripping core causing Emily to whimper and throw her arms around the blonde's shoulders. Alison began thrusting at a steady speed, ensuring that the tips of her fingers hit Emily's sweet spot. She could have dragged it out, but Emily made it very clear what she wanted. Emily lowly moaned when she felt Alison's fingers spreading her open and deeply penetrating her. She reached her hands up and tangled one in the other woman's golden curls while flexing her fingers against the shorter woman's neck with the other. Alison hissed when she felt fingernails digging into her skin. Emily roughly pushed on the back of Alison's head, causing the blonde to suck and nibble on her nipple even harder.

Emily couldn't make up her mind where she wanted to touch her lover. Her hands were everywhere. She kept one hand firmly pressed against the back of Alison's head and the other reached for the pale woman's bicep, squeezing and moaning when she felt the muscle constantly flexing and relaxing as she filled her with her slender fingers. Emily's eyebrows furrowed while her jaw dropped. She was able to mumble three words that Alison was desperate to hear.

"I... love you."

"I'll always love you, Em," Alison replied.

"I'm close," Emily growled.

Alison shifted so her face was level with Emily's. She kissed the brunette while thrusting her fingers in and out of the tanned woman. Emily knew she would feel it later, but now she didn't care. She needed Alison. She tossed her head back while her jaw dropped and her legs fell open. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she was unable to keep her eyes open. She was panting while the shorter woman pressed into her.

Alison licked the shell of Emily's ear and hotly whispered. "I've got you, Em."

Emily dragged her fingernails down Alison's arm, stopping when she reached the blonde's wrist. She squeezed and pulled on Alison's arm, causing her to thrust the slightest bit harder. The pregnant woman allowed Emily to control her speed, being gifted by a deep moan from the taller woman. Emily's shoulders lifted off the bed as she felt heat spread down her thighs and across the rest of her body. It was all she could do to remember how to breathe. Emily came long and hard while Alison's fingers were buried deep inside of her.

Emily wanted this moment to last forever. Her pleasure intensified with every stroke of Alison's fingers until she reached her limit. Emily released the weakest whimper as she felt her body deflate. When Alison was sure that the other woman was finished, she slowed her movements as she helped the brunette calm down. When Emily finally opened her eyes, she saw a very pleased Alison smiling down at her.

"Satisfied?" She asked, with the sexiest lip bite Emily had ever seen.

Emily smiled before deeply sighing.

"I'll take that as a yes." Alison teased while leaning forward to press lingering kisses against Emily's cheek.

"That is definitely a yes," Emily said with a raspy voice. "Are you?"

"I am for the moment. Only because I am getting hungry." Alison said as she rested her hand on her stomach.

"Can we stay like this for just a little longer?" Emily whispered, and Alison happily agreed.

The pregnant woman rolled onto her side and tossed an arm and a leg over her lover's body. Emily nuzzled her head under the blonde's chin and placed a few loving kisses on the spot over Alison's heart.

"I will always love you. So much." The teacher whispered.

"I will always love you, Ali." Emily instantly replied.

The two rested for several minutes, being surrounded by a comfortable silence. They could have remained in that position all day but eventually, Alison had to pull away when her stomach growled. She knew she needed to eat, if not for herself, then for her baby.

"Em, I need to shower and get some breakfast. This kid is going to go insane if I keep him waiting." Alison said as she stretched her arms high over her head.

"I hope he has your eyes." Emily offhandedly commented. "That is my favorite thing about you. And you chin dimple. And your cute little nose. Your lips are pretty too." Emily listed.

"He can't have all of my features," Alison replied with a chuckle.

"Sure, he can. He would be the most beautiful baby in the world."

Alison stared at the other woman with a lovesick smile before Emily cleared her throat.

"You go take a shower and I will make something to eat," Emily said as she made her way out of the bed in search of her borrowed t-shirt.

"You don't have to," Alison called out as she walked her naked body into the closet.

"But I am going to."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Soon, Emily made her way into the unfamiliar kitchen and began opening random cabinets and drawers until she found everything she needed. She noted that cooking was much easier when you knew where everything was located, but she was able to manage. She made omelets with toast, remembering that it was Alison's favorite breakfast dish. She wasn't kept waiting too long after the food was finished before Alison joined her in the kitchen.

"It smells great in here." She commented as she entered the room wearing nothing but a bathrobe. "I'm starving, what about you?"

"Nah, I ate earlier, remember?" Emily said with a cheeky grin.

Alison gasped and slapped Emily on the shoulder. "You are so vulgar!"

"You like it," Emily commented and both women smiled, being reminded of a similar conversation they had years ago after they first met.

 _ **"From what I've heard you're only looking for a hot piece of ass." Alison deadpanned while shifting in her seat to face the other woman who kept her eyes focused on the road.**_

 _ **"That isn't entirely wrong," Emily smirked again.**_

 _ **"Oh, so I'm not hot enough?" Alison said in jest.**_

 _ **"Guess not," Emily replied with a laugh, shocking the shorter woman.**_

 _ **Alison knew she looked good, but for some reason she wanted Emily to admit it. For some strange reason, she craved Emily's approval, though Alison would never admit it. She had gotten the wrong impression of the brunette and Emily had definitely grown on her over the last week.**_

 _ **"Whatever, you know I look good." She fired back with a scowl.**_

 _ **"I hadn't noticed. If I thought you looked good you would be in my bed right now, begging me not to stop, instead of on the way to the mall." Emily teased, knowing she would get a rise out of the blonde.**_

 _ **"You're so vulgar," Alison said with a scrunched-up nose.**_

 _ **"You like it, or you wouldn't be here." Emily confidently replied with a shrug of her shoulders.**_

"You can't say things like that. It makes me want to drag you back to bed and get my own fill of you." Alison commented, surprised at how quickly they returned to their playful dynamic.

Things between them fell back into place the same as it was all those years ago.

"I wouldn't stop you. It was always your favorite." Emily teased.

"Emily, stop tempting me." Alison halfheartedly scolded.

Emily then leaned across the table and hotly whispered in Alison's ear. She knew just what to say in order to get a rise out of the blonde and sure enough, it worked. Alison blushed as Emily returned to her seat. Then the teacher began practically inhaling her food.

"Why are you eating so quickly? You're going to choke." Emily asked with a laugh.

"Don't just stand there. I'm giving you about three minutes to eat before I drag you back into bed."

Emily stared in disbelief while Alison took a bite of toast. She swallowed before arching a brow at the other woman. "It's closer to two minutes now. Get your ass in gear, Fields. You can't tease me and expect me to do nothing about it."

As it turned out, Emily didn't need a full two minutes. She ate as quickly as the blonde and true to Alison's word, she had her way with Emily once again.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

"I think all of my skin is going to fall off if I keep showering this frequently," Alison said as she rubbed a towel over her hair.

"It's not my fault that you followed me into the shower," Emily commented as she rubbed a towel over her body.

"You weren't complaining." Alison retorted.

"And I never will."

"Would you like to go to The Brew with me? I know I can't have caffeine but I'm dying for some hot chocolate. For future reference, it is my number one pregnancy craving." Alison informed with a cheeky grin.

Emily wrapped her arms around the shorter woman from behind and peppered her shoulder with kisses. "I'll go anywhere you want, Ali."

Alison didn't stop smiling even when she heard her phone ringing. She reached for the device and answered it while still wrapped in Emily's arms.

"Hello?"

"Hey. . . I was just calling to check on you." Elliott said.

Alison mentally cursed herself for not checking to see who the caller was before answering.

"I am fine. Just finished breakfast actually."

"I know you don't want to talk to me. I just really needed to make sure you were ok." Alison sighed, but couldn't be angry with him.

"The baby and I are doing just fine. If anything happens I promise I will let you know." She lazily replied while reaching her free hand back to thread through Emily's wet locks.

"Thank you. . . I talked to my boss and he agreed to let me work from home, or my parents' home, that is. So, I will probably be gone for a while. Would you mind mailing me my briefcase? I left it in my car."

"I will take care of it." She replied with a smile, not because of Elliott but because of the woman who was currently nibbling on the back of her neck.

"Thank you, Alison."

"You're welcome. It's not a problem." She replied, ready to get off the phone.

"I won't keep you waiting. That is all I wanted."

"Ok. . . Bye" Alison casually said as she ended the call.

"Sorry about that," Alison said as she turned around in Emily's arms.

"No need to apologize. It doesn't bother me at all."

Alison hugged Emily close before speaking.

"We need to get dressed. Most of my clothes are maternity, unfortunately, but I think I have some leggings that will fit you. I know I have some tops and a coat that will be your size. Boots too. Now that I think about it, you certainly didn't wear a lot last night. I'm surprised you didn't get sick. Who goes out in the middle of a Pennsylvania winter in only a dress and heels?" Alison teased.

"Someone who didn't plan on spending much time outside," Emily replied before releasing the blonde and following her into the bedroom where the blankets and sheets had been kicked to the floor.

"We really made a mess in here, didn't we?" Emily commented with an amused grin.

"We certainly did," Alison said as she turned to wrap her arms around Emily's neck.

She couldn't get enough of the physical contact. Both women leaned in for a brief kiss before pulling away in search of clothes. It took a while because Emily couldn't keep her hands to herself and Alison only halfheartedly tried to stop her, but eventually, both women were dressed and had the bed back in its normal order.

"You ready to go, Em?" Alison asked, and the brunette only nodded.

After gathering her bag and removing her keys from the hook on the wall, Alison stepped out onto the front porch, followed by Emily.

"Do you mind going and starting my car, so it can be warming up? I need to get something out of Elliott's car before we leave." Alison requested while securing the lock.

"Sure, I don't mind," Emily said while extending her hand for the set of keys.

Alison carefully walked across the snowy walkway that led to the garage. Once inside, she opened the car and immediately spotted the briefcase. She grabbed the item and closed the garage behind her. She paused for a moment and smiled when she saw Emily sitting in her car, messing with the dials in an attempt at defrosting the windows. This was going to be her life now. Emily would always be with her. For all the major and minor events in her life and once again, Alison felt herself sighing while a love drunk smile graced her face.

She stepped back onto the snow-covered walkway, making a mental note to shovel it later. Not that Emily would actually let her, but she was going to try. Alison spaced out as she walked in Emily's direction, only focusing on reality when she felt her feet slipping. She flailed her arms in an attempt at balancing herself, but the walkway was too slick. Her legs flew out from under her and she hit the ground before she had a chance to brace herself.

 **To the guest reviewers who were wondering if I am ok. Thank you, I am fine. I am sorry I have kept you waiting for a new chapter. I decided I didn't want to update last Thursday like I had originally planned because, to be honest, one of my reviewers wrote something that made me realize how selfish and awful people can be. When someone is obviously trolling, I delete it and move on, but this person was genuinely coldhearted and doesn't seem to realize it. It wasn't the worst thing someone has written in a review, not by a long shot, but for some reason, that particular review struck a nerve and caused me to take a week off. I apologize to those of you who were left waiting because of one person. I'll try not to make a habit of that.**


	10. Chapter 10

**This update could possibly upset some people. If that happens, I apologize. But I had to give a warning without spoiling too much, in case you didn't want to read it.**

She lied in the snow for a moment, afraid to move. The fall had knocked the wind out of her and she tried taking a deep breath when she suddenly heard footsteps pounding in her direction.

"Ali, are you alright?" Emily called out in a panic-stricken voice.

Alison coughed a few times and tried to sit up but felt a sharp pain in her stomach. "I don't know. It hurts, Em!"

Emily looked down and saw no sign of blood, which was good, but she was still frightened and knew Alison was as well.

"Babe, can you walk? I need to get you to the hospital. We need to make sure the baby is ok." Emily asked, trying to sound calm for Alison's sake.

"I can try," Alison said as she began to cry. Not from the pain but from the fear that her son might be hurt.

Emily tried helping Alison to her feet, but the movement hurt the blonde too badly. The moment she leaned forward, the pain increased and she cried out. Emily eased Alison back onto the ground before explaining her next move.

"I can get you to the hospital faster than an ambulance. I am going to go open the car door and then I will carry you. Just wait right here." Emily said before she carefully ran in the direction of the car.

She should have been more worried about falling as well, but her largest concern was Alison and the baby. Emily threw open the passenger door and ran back to the blonde. She easily and gently lifted the pregnant woman, which was no doubt because of her adrenaline. Soon, she had Alison secured in the car and even buckled her seatbelt before taking her spot behind the driver's seat and carefully but quickly making her way to the hospital.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Emily parked the car at the Emergency room entrance and quickly ran inside. She approached the front desk and requested for someone to follow her with a wheelchair. After Alison was gently placed in the chair, she was wheeled away. Emily was left alone in the waiting room and shakily pulled out her phone to call the other girls.

One at a time, she dialed their numbers, each one ending the call with, "I'm on my way." Except for Hanna, who was still stuck in New York. Emily agreed to keep her updated and ended the call, too distracted to hold a conversation with the other woman. Emily didn't want to be the one to call Elliott, not that she had his number, but she knew he needed to know. So instead, she called Alison's parents. They had been the ones to inform him that Alison had an accident.

Emily hopelessly paced around the waiting area for the Emergency room until her friends began showing up, one at a time. Alison's mother managed to arrive before anyone else and since Mrs. DiLaurentis was family, she was allowed to go back to see Alison. However, none of the others had been updated on the blonde's condition. Emily expected some backlash from her ex-girlfriend's mother, but she was as nice to her as ever. She repeatedly thanked her for calling and informed her that Alison's father would be arriving soon and to please tell him where she was. Emily was terrified. She hated the thought of anything happening to Alison or the baby. It would absolutely crush the blonde. She slumped in her seat between Spencer and Aria, desperate for any information.

It felt like ages had passed and there was still no word about Alison. Mr. DiLaurentis had briefly stopped by the emergency room, but he instantly left to find his wife the moment Emily relayed the message. Emily was thankful that she had Toby, Spencer, and Aria waiting with her. It had been a long day and she didn't know if she would have been able to sit still if she was alone. They at least offered a distraction and she appreciated it. She was surprised, yet thankful that no one asked why she was the one who brought Alison to the hospital. She was sure they would ask her later, but now they were only focused on Alison's health.

The four friends ended up in the waiting room for over ten hours with hardly any news on Alison or the baby's health. After the first few hours, the others took time to go eat, but Emily didn't have an appetite. She opted to stay in the waiting room in case someone came out to tell them something. Mr. DiLaurentis had left a few hours prior in order to pick up Elliott from the Airport. He had managed to get a last-minute flight and Mr. DiLaurentis was kind enough to go pick up his son-in-law. Emily wasn't upset by it. She knew he had a right to be there for his child. As Mr. DiLaurentis passed through the lobby Emily was instantly on her feet.

"What's going on?" Emily quickly asked, the fear causing her to become impatient.

"Alison is stable, but the baby is struggling. The doctors are diligently working, but there is only so much they can do in a case like this, or so they said. We're all just waiting at this point." He explained, and it was clear there was pain in his eyes, which Emily mirrored.

Emily deflated and returned to her seat as she watched the older man leave the room. She wanted so badly to speak to Alison, and she had requested to do so, but she was turned down because she wasn't a blood relative. Emily couldn't be too upset because the receptionist had been so nice about it. Emily knew it was the hospital's policy, so she didn't try and argue against it.

It felt like an entire day had passed before Mr. DiLaurentis had returned, but it only could have been a couple of hours. When Emily saw Elliott enter the room he looked panicked and for a moment, she felt pity for him.

He approached their group with a frown. "Has anyone told you anything yet?"

"Nothing but radio silence," Spencer replied.

"I'll call my wife. She should know something." Kenneth said as he joined the group.

Everyone was silent as they listened to his one-sided conversation with Alison's mother, though it didn't last long.

"She said she would meet us out here in just a moment." He informed the group as he put the phone in his pocket and took an empty seat. Elliott didn't sit. He paced around the room and Emily could tell he was worried. True to her word, it was only minutes before Jessica DiLaurentis entered the room.

"Well, how are they?" Elliott eagerly asked as he approached his mother-in-law.

It was obvious that the woman had been crying, so Emily was anticipating the worse.

"Alison is going to be fine." She said before pausing to take a deep breath. "But the baby didn't make it. The placenta was damaged, and it was too much for him. He held on for a long time but about an hour ago they lost him. I'm so sorry."

Elliott rubbed his hand over his face before speaking. "I need to see her. Take me to her, please."

"She is a little out of it. They have her on some strong painkillers, but she is awake for now." Jessica explained as she turned, instantly being followed by Elliott.

Alison's father looked devastated, everyone did. They all knew how excited Alison was. Everyone was excited to meet the baby. He was so loved before he even had a chance to be born. Emily felt her own heart breaking. Sure, she didn't like the idea of Alison having someone else's baby, but she had genuinely wanted to meet him. She wanted to hold the little Alison and now that would never happen. Emily needed to see her, but she didn't think that would happen anytime soon. However, she wasn't leaving that hospital until she got to talk to the blonde.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Elliott entered Alison's hospital room and felt his heart breaking when he saw her attached to so many machines.

"Alison," He said as he quickly approached, careful not to touch her.

To say that Alison wasn't herself was an understatement. She couldn't begin to understand why things happened the way they did. She was devastated and angry. She had spent years with a broken heart because she missed Emily. Things didn't work out with the brunette because Alison wanted kids. Alison was finally pregnant and so close to becoming a mother when Emily came back into her life. Things finally felt perfect and again, her happiness crumbled. She didn't know how to express her feelings and she couldn't have been unhappier with Elliott's presence. Not to mention that everything was a little blurry.

"Elliott," She coldly replied.

"Alison, I am so sorry this happened. Are you in any pain? Do you need anything?" He asked.

"Of course, I am in pain. What kind of question is that?" She wasn't sure why she was snapping at him, but she couldn't help herself.

"I meant physically." He tried to correct.

Alison sighed before motioning to her IV. "Physically, I can't even feel my toes right now."

"What happened?" He asked as he took a seat in an empty chair.

"I slipped on a patch of ice after getting the briefcase out of your car." She coldly said.

He instantly felt guilty and felt a few tears slide down his face. Alison wasn't sure why, but she was feeling uncontrollably aggressive toward the man.

"Look, if you are just going to sit there and cry, you can go. I don't need any extra stress right now." She snapped, and he looked at her in shock.

"Alison, I am upset. I can't control my tears. I just want to be here for you."

"Elliott, I know you are trying to help but I can't deal with this right now," Alison growled, she was angry that he just didn't understand that she needed space, more specifically that she needed away from him.

"Alison, I am still your husband. I can't let you go through this alone." He insisted.

"If you hadn't knocked me up I wouldn't be in this situation, now would I?" Alison knew she was being unfair, but she couldn't care less at that moment.

"He was my son too. I am heartbroken over this as well." He said, rising to take a step in her direction, which was the wrong thing to do.

"Did you carry that child inside of you for four months? Were you literally his only lifeline? Did you have to change all your eating and drinking habits to ensure his safety? Did you have to remember to take vitamins every single day to ensure that he grew to be perfect and healthy? Did you have him die inside of you? You don't know the physical or emotional pain that I am going through, so don't you dare try and compare our grief." She nearly yelled at him.

"Alison," He started but he was cut off.

"You aren't helping your case. You are quickly digging your own grave, Elliott. I am obviously not myself right now. For the last time, please leave me alone. I can't stand to look at you." Alison said as she closed her eyes.

She felt her blood pressure rising, which only angered her even more. If he truly cared about her, he would give her what she needed instead of sticking around and making things worse. The room was silent for a long moment and she was sure she was alone, but he spoke up once again.

"I'll leave, but please call me if you need anything. Can I at least get you something before I go?"

"I want to talk to Emily."

Elliott had to admit that it stung to know that his wife would rather grieve with her friend/ex-lover than to allow him to comfort her, but he also knew she really wasn't being herself in that moment. She was suffering from a traumatic experience and if the only thing that was going to help get her through it was Emily then he would make it happen.

~X~X~X~X~X

Alison drifted off to sleep in her hospital bed. She was thankful that she only had to stay one night because she was incredibly bored and was ready to see something other than the bland, white walls that surrounded her. The nap helped to pass the time, but she was unsure of how much time she had actually gotten rid of. All she knew was that when she awoke, Emily was the first face she saw.

"Hey, Ali," Emily said with a weak smile as she reached for the blonde's hand.

"Hey," Alison croaked as she reached for a glass of water with her free hand.

"Elliott said you wanted to talk to me," Emily said with an amused smile.

"He was getting on my last nerve. I knew you wouldn't push my buttons like he was." Alison explained.

"I can't begin to imagine what you are feeling, but I am so sorry that you have to go through this."

"You don't have to be sorry. It isn't your fault." Alison said, and Emily could tell that the blonde placed the blame on herself.

She stood and carefully sat on the bed before cupping Alison's pale cheek. "It isn't anyone's fault, but that doesn't change the fact that I hate that this happened. I hate anything that causes your heart to hurt."

Emily leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the blonde's forehead and Alison swore she could have burst into tears. She really needed to hear that it wasn't her fault and somehow Emily knew this. Emily had always been great at reading the blonde.

What really surprised her was when she felt a hand resting on top of her now empty stomach. She stared at Emily as the taller woman leaned down and pressed her lips to the place her hand had just occupied. Alison nearly lost her composure when she heard Emily whispering.

"I'm so sorry we never got a chance to meet you. I know you would have been beautiful like your mother. Everyone loved you so much and we will never forget about you." Alison had to strain to hear Emily's sweet words which she finished off with another kiss to the blonde's belly.

Emily sat up and took a deep breath before looking at the blonde who had a tear rolling down her cheek. Emily leaned forward and kissed the tear away before resting her head on Alison's shoulder. Alison wrapped both arms around the other woman and she lost control of her tears. They ended up trading positions, with Alison's face now being buried into Emily's shoulder. The brunette didn't care that her shirt was going to be soaked. All she cared about was helping Alison get through one of the toughest moments in her life.

After a long while of crying, Alison finally calmed down enough to ask, "Em, do you think you can get a nurse in here?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back." Emily quickly left the room and flagged down the first nurse she saw.

She wasn't sure if she was Alison's nurse or not, but she supposed it didn't really matter. The older woman seemed happy to help as she entered the room and approached the patient.

"Are you hurting, dear?" The nurse asked while looking over Alison's IV bag.

"No, I just wanted to make sure I have no more visitors. Especially not my husband." She hated calling him that, especially in front of Emily, but legally, they were still married. "I know I get to leave tomorrow but I'd rather no one bother me while I'm going through this. Except for Emily. I need her to stay."

The nurse simply smiled while resting her hand on top of Alison's shoulder. "We can arrange that, sweetheart. Don't worry about anyone else right now. Just focus on healing."

When the nurse was gone, Emily pulled out her phone before looking at Alison. "I'm going to call the girls. They are probably still in the waiting room."

"Tell them I am sorry. I just don't have the energy to do visitors right now." Alison said with a frown. She hated to push her friends away but now wasn't a good time.

"They will understand, babe. They just want you to be ok." Emily pulled out her phone and Alison actually insisted on speaking to them for a brief moment. Just to thank them for coming and to send them her love. Emily connected a three-way call between Spencer and Hanna before handing the phone to Alison. After a few minutes, the blonde had a chance to briefly speak to each of the other women and even Toby. After thanking them and sending her love, she then handed Emily the phone and watched as the brunette talked to her friends for a moment longer. She was quick to get off the phone. Emily wanted all of her attention to be on the blonde. After she put the device away, Emily gave Alison her undivided attention.

"Thank you for letting me stay. I wasn't going to leave until I saw you." Emily said as she made her way back onto the bed with Alison.

"I knew you wouldn't. That's one reason I love you. You are so loyal, and you have the biggest heart."

Alison cuddled close to Emily and sighed. "I feel bad for being so hateful to Elliott, but he was making everything worse. I just feel so much better with you here."

"Do you maybe blame him for this happening?" Emily questioned while stroking the blonde's hair.

"I told him it was his fault, and maybe I am taking it out on him, but I know he didn't do this. That was wrong of me, but I was just so mad, Emily. I still am, and I don't know what to do. My heart hurts so badly. My baby is gone, and Elliott was sitting there crying and acting like the victim when I am the one who is going through all of this. My body has been pulled apart and my heart has been shredded. He doesn't get to cry right now."

"Maybe you need to cry it out again. I know you had a moment earlier, but perhaps it wasn't enough. If seeing him crying upset you that badly then maybe it is your turn to really let it out. Don't hold anything back. You have had family and doctors surrounding you all day. You have been poked and prodded and I know you are exhausted. You were able to cry a little bit earlier, but you haven't really had time to yourself. Grieve over your son and I will be right here to hold you through it." Emily suggested, and Alison didn't protest.

She felt safe in Emily's arms. She knew she could fall apart and the other woman would put her back together. Maybe that was what she needed. So, for the first time since she lost her son, Alison allowed herself to fully crumble. She had a lot more going on in her world than just the loss of her son, but she forgot about it all. The only thoughts she allowed to consume her were those of her child. Of all the things she had planned for his life. She had dreamed about him and now, that was all she would ever have. There were so many things that would never come to be. So, Alison let her walls down and she completely fell apart while Emily's arms held the pieces together.

 **I know this has upset some of you, but the story is basically all uphill from here. Happy chapters are on the way, I promise. As I have said before, every piece has its own purpose. Thanks for reading.**

 **(And for those concerned about my last author's note, no worries. I should have clarified that the person wasn't hateful to me personally or to my story. They were just being awful in general. Plus, I was moody, so I got pretty annoyed by it, but everything is fine now. Thanks for being so amazing!)**


	11. Chapter 11

**NSFW**

Alison wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed since she lost her son. Everything had been such a blur, though it could have only been a few weeks because it was already time for Spencer's wedding. She had originally planned to help the bride-to-be with some of the preparations, but since her accident, Emily stepped up and took over all of her wedding responsibilities. Alison couldn't have been more thankful because she didn't want to let Spencer down but at the same time, she didn't think she would have been able to handle it mentally.

A lot had occurred in those weeks. She had to spend extra time in the tailor's shop because, instead of outgrowing her dress, she had become way too small for the garment. Alison also had to pack up the nursery. Elliott had offered to do it, and she did let him do the heavy lifting, but Alison needed to pack up everything on her own in order to really say goodbye. She expected Elliott to go back to his parents, but unfortunately, he decided to stay home. It made things difficult for Alison because she wanted time to heal in her own home, but she wasn't given the opportunity. She wasn't going to stay in the same house with her soon to be ex-husband. She knew Emily would understand, but Alison wasn't going to do that to the other woman. So, she spent her days at home while Elliott was working, but by night she was staying either at her parents' house or with Emily.

When she found the strength to pack up the nursery, it had been an emotional day. She spent the entire morning and the majority of the afternoon locked in the room. She wouldn't let Elliott join her or even answer her phone when Emily called. She needed a break from the entire world and for a few hours, she isolated herself. She ended up storing all the baby's belongings in her parent's attic. She couldn't stand to get rid of them, and she wasn't sure what house she and Emily would be moving into, so her mother cleaned out some space for the items. When Alison wasn't leaning on Emily for support, she was with her mother. The two women were able to keep Alison from losing her mind.

Elliott still tried to be supportive of Alison. He called her every day to see if there was anything she needed, and though her attitude toward him had changed, she still didn't allow him to comfort her. Emily was doing a great job at that and she didn't want to send him any mixed signals. Things between them were over and she didn't want him to think otherwise.

Alison was honestly relieved that Spencer's wedding was already happening. She planned to support Spencer and Toby, drink her weight in champagne, and hopefully get to spend some time with Emily. She would have never made it through this situation if Emily hadn't been there to support her. Since her accident, they hadn't had any other romantic encounters, Alison had too much on her mind to think about her love life, but Emily was still there. She never even tried to kiss Alison other than on her forehead or the cheek. Emily had been completely respectful and almost always knew what the blonde needed without having to be told.

Alison wanted to spend the evening relaxing with her friends but most importantly, Emily. Since the after party was going to be at the Radley, Alison thought that perhaps the two of them could sneak off into a room and spend some time together, even if they only talked. It seemed as though someone else was always around and they hadn't gotten the opportunity to be alone. Alison wasn't sure if her body was ready for anything physical, but she would be lying if she said she wouldn't want to at least make out with the other woman after she had a few drinks. She wanted to make out with Emily while she was sober, but the millions of thoughts swirling in her mind wouldn't allow her to do anything. She needed a night away from her stress and worries. A night where Emily could hold onto her and kiss her without anything weighing on their minds. Her mission during Spencer's wedding was to focus on those around her and ignore the rest of the world. After the agony she had endured, she felt that she deserved a night to forget it all.

~X~X~X~X~X~

Minutes before the wedding began, Alison had met up with all the other women in a back room. They all gushed over how gorgeous Spencer was in her dress and did everything they could to calm her nerves. It reminded her of her own wedding day except for Spencer didn't look conflicted in the slightest. She looked excited to be marrying Toby, and Alison wondered if that is what she would have looked like if she had married Emily instead of Elliott. She found herself wondering if anyone could see a difference in the way she behaved on her wedding day in comparison to Spencer. Were there obvious differences or was it all subtle? She knew Hanna would be able to tell a difference but only because she caught her making out with Emily merely five minutes before she walked down the aisle. If Hanna hadn't caught them, she wondered if the other blonde could tell that Alison wasn't as excited as Spencer. Wasn't as sure as Spencer.

She didn't want to get too consumed with thoughts of her mistakes, so she focused her attention on everyone else. Especially on Emily, who looked stunning in her dress. Alison found it difficult to look away from the brunette. Her dress had a low neckline that left very little to the imagination. She wanted to reach out and rest her palm on Emily's chest, between her breasts, and kiss the other woman breathless. However, she couldn't. Not until after the wedding.

She didn't want to take any attention away from Spencer and she had a feeling that if her friends saw her ravaging Emily that there would be a lot of questions and excitement in general. So, she held herself back from touching the brunette, but that didn't mean she couldn't look. In fact, Alison barely took her eyes off of Emily. If anyone noticed they kept it to themselves, and Alison was thankful for that because she didn't want to stop looking at Emily. The longer she stared at Emily and the more champagne she drank, the more Alison wanted the wedding to hurry and be over with. Her body was craving physical attention for the first time since her accident and she didn't plan on denying herself the pleasure of being with Emily.

"Spencer, Toby is going to fall apart when he sees you in that dress," Hanna exclaimed while circling the bride.

It wasn't the first time she had seen the dress, but it was different now that Spencer was about to walk down the aisle.

"He really is. This is going to be an incredible day." Aria said with a sigh and an accompanying smile.

"I am so excited that I feel nauseous. Did you feel that way?" Spencer directed the question toward the blonde who was barely paying attention to the conversation.

She shook her head in order to bring herself back to reality. She had forgotten that Spencer and Aria didn't know that she was no longer with Elliott. So instead, she tried to ease the tension that she was sure only she, Emily, and Hanna could feel.

"I felt nauseous, but it wasn't nerves or excitement," Alison said while motioning to her stomach.

No one wanted to approach the subject of Alison's miscarriage, so instead, Spencer nodded and turned to face Emily.

"You are being pretty quiet, Em. Something going on?"

Something was definitely going on. She and Alison were back together. She had every intention of telling her friends but after Alison fell, she hadn't made time to celebrate anything. Emily didn't want to be the center of attention, so she shrugged off the question. "Nothing, I am fine. I just can't believe you two are getting married. When did we all grow up?"

"No worries, Em. I still haven't grown up. I'm the same old Hanna." The bubbly blonde explained while tossing her arm over the brunette's shoulder.

"Gee, that is a relief." Emily deadpanned, causing the blonde to scowl in faux annoyance.

Alison stared at her lover and wondered when they really did grow up. When did their lives become so complex? Things used to be simple in comparison and it made Alison long for the days when she didn't have to bear anywhere near the amount of stress that she currently had to deal with.

"It's about time for us to get out of here. I want one last group hug before I become Spencer Cavanaugh." She demanded with open arms.

All five women embraced, Alison, ensuring that her arm was lovingly wrapped around Emily's waist, though no one else seemed to notice except for Hanna, who was, of course, shifting her eyebrows with a knowing smirk.

~X~X~X~X~X

The wedding had been amazing. Alison let loose and had fun with her friends. She danced with the bride and each of her friends. Alison even danced with Caleb and Toby. It had been an incredible evening, much more fun than her own wedding. She managed to pull Emily onto the dance floor more than the others, but no one seemed to notice the extra attention she was paying to the other woman. She truly did drink enough to forget her worries and Alison felt light and free. Like she could do or become anything she wanted. She knew her blissful state was a result of the alcohol, but she made sure to enjoy every last second of it. After a particularly heated dance session with Emily, Alison stepped out of the room to get some air. She didn't mind being in large crowds, but sometimes she had to step away in order to breathe before returning to the madness.

She walked around the deserted lobby and examined the various paintings that lined the walls. She could hear the muffled sound of music coming from the party, but she paid little attention to it until the sound increased for a moment before being silenced by the thud of a closed door. She turned to see who was joining her and smiled when she saw Emily approaching. The brunette had definitely been drinking, if her slightly crooked smile was any indication.

"Hey, Ali." The brunette purred as she approached the blonde, not stopping until Alison was backed into the wall.

"Hi, gorgeous," Alison said in a flirtatious tone. "Are you following me?"

Emily's smile grew larger. "I am. I wanted you to myself for a moment."

Alison returned the smile as she wrapped her arms around Emily's neck. The two stared into each other's eyes before Emily finally leaned forward and kissed the shorter woman. Alison instantly moaned against the swimmer's lips and snaked one hand between their bodies to finally rest between Emily's breasts. She had been dying to get her hands on Emily all night and she was finally given some relief. Emily kept Alison pinned against the wall while their lips and bodies were firmly pressed together. The moment Emily broke the kiss, Alison whimpered and fluttered her eyes open.

"You can't kiss me like that," Alison muttered before taking a deep breath. "Not unless you plan on doing something about it. There is already so much heat between my legs because of you."

Emily gulped before grabbing Alison's thigh and hiking it over her hip. She slowly inched her free hand up the blonde's other thigh, under her dress, and pulled her panties aside. Alison gasped when she felt Emily cup her bare center. The tanned woman placed one last searing kiss against the blonde's lips before whispering.

"You weren't lying." Emily swiped her index finger through Alison's folds, already feeling moisture coating her digit.

Emily lowered Alison's leg and stepped back before reaching into her purse and removing a key card. She handed it to Alison with a sheepish smile, though she had nothing to be shy about.

"If you want me to do something about it, then use this. Room 423." Emily winked as she walked away to join the wedding party once again.

Alison stared at the card for a moment with an unbreakable smile on her face. Of course, she was going to use this card and the anticipation was already killing her.

~X~X~X~X~X~

When Alison let herself into room 423, she was instantly greeted by the sight of Emily lounging on the king-sized bed. She was still in her bridesmaid's dress, which was fine with Alison because Emily looked so sexy in it. They could have wasted time with small talk but instead, Alison strode across the room and climbed on top of Emily. She had waited all night to be alone with the taller woman and she was going to make the most of their time together.

Alison skipped Emily's lips and went straight for the swimmer's cleavage, burying her face between those soft globes that she had loved for many years. Emily chuckled when she felt Alison's hungry tongue lapping at her skin.

"Eager?" Emily teasingly asked.

Alison merely hummed as she kissed and licked every last inch of Emily's chest while sliding her hands under the taller woman's dress. She could have pulled her panties off, but instead, she unapologetically ripped them.

"Ali," Emily whimpered, loving the passion that was taking over her lover.

Alison then reached up and pulled the dress down the brunette's shoulders until it bundled up around her hips. She then gently removed the tanned woman's pasties, and carelessly tossed them aside, more focused on the nipples she just freed from their confinement. She roughly grasped Emily's thighs as she wrapped them around her torso while keeping her mouth busy with the swimmer's exposed chest.

Emily hadn't felt this desired in a long time. Sure, she and Alison had been intimate several weeks prior, but this was different. The way Alison was handling her body was completely animalistic. She groaned when she felt Alison's pearly white teeth gently scraping her nipple while simultaneously sucking on it.

When Alison was certain that Emily was sufficiently distracted, she reached her hand up and cupped the tanned woman's core, groaning when she felt just how warm the other woman was. She kissed her way to Emily's lips while she coated the tips of her fingers in the swimmer's juices before swirling them around her throbbing clit. Emily gently bit the blonde's bottom lip and closed her eyes while Alison teased her. Emily held herself up on shaky elbows and tilted her head back when she felt Alison trailing her lips closer to her neck.

"Ali, we should take our dresses off before we ruin them." Emily half-heartedly suggested but Alison wasn't interested in her request.

"No time. I'm taking you right now, just like this."

Emily didn't have a moment to process her words before she felt Alison penetrating her. Suddenly, she didn't care about the dresses. All she wanted was for Alison to keep pressing into her. Emily lowered herself onto the mattress and reached for the other woman's thighs, scraping her nails against the tender flesh. Alison was slow, yet firm with her motions and Emily was clearly pleased with the pressure that was building between her legs. Her breathing had become labored and Alison felt as it washed over her shoulder. She was prepared to spend the rest of the evening between Emily's legs, but she had a feeling that wouldn't be happening. Not with the way Emily was desperately sucking in air and scratching the back of her thighs.

She loved the way the brunette clenched around her fingers to the point it was almost difficult to continue their movement. She also knew that was a sign that her lover was about to fall over the edge. Emily began covering Alison's shoulder and neck with aimless kisses, taking a ragged breath between each peck.

"I love you, Emily," Alison whispered.

"Ali," was the only word the brunette was able to utter.

She clenched around Alison's fingers, locking them in place. The blonde flexed her digits to create some sort of movement inside of the brunette, knowing exactly what Emily needed as her release began flowing through her body.

Emily held on to the shorter woman and gasped. She was unable to keep her eyes open while her pleasure was at it most intense. So, she closed her eyes and relaxed her body, Alison continuing to shift her fingers until she was positive that Emily couldn't take anymore.

Alison didn't bother pulling out, enjoying the way Emily throbbed and twitched around her fingers. She gently kissed the taller woman's neck and shoulder until Emily caught her breath and broke the silence.

"Are you going to take that dress off yet?" Emily asked with a soft laugh.

Alison hesitated and sat up, slowly removing herself from the other woman.

"Em, your body is perfect. Mine doesn't look so great right now. I have a lot of work before I can get back to the way I was." Alison admitted without making eye contact. Emily reached up and gently grasped the shorter woman's chin, lightly tugging until Alison looked at her.

"You never have to hide your body from me. I will love you and want you no matter what you look like. There is absolutely no way you could ever be unattractive to me." Emily encouraged.

"I don't know, Em. I'm not comfortable in my own skin right now." Alison protested. "You could be a model and I just feel so blah."

"If you say no, then I will respect that, but just know that I want to see how beautiful you are. I want to make you feel how stunning your body is. I will gladly spend all night loving every inch of you if you will let me."

Alison stared into Emily's eyes and saw nothing but honesty. She trusted Emily enough to see her body the way that it was. She knew it was silly to believe Emily wouldn't still want her so, she stood and slowly tugged on the zipper until the dress fell away from her body. Alison instantly blushed but Emily didn't notice. She was completely focused on her lover's body. Emily guided Alison onto her back while simultaneously unclasping her bra. She spent a significant amount of time kissing the blonde's stomach, noting that there was definitely a change, but there was no way she could be turned off by it.

Emily rubbed her hand against Alison's belly while kissing up to the blonde's lips. She pecked them once before whispering. "How would you like for me to touch you? I know your doctor said you have limitations for several weeks."

"Touch me any way you like, just not inside of me."

Alison was always touched by the little things. Like Emily paying attention to her health, even in moments such as this. Emily took her time tugging the blankets back until they were covering their bodies. In the process, she removed Alison's panties, careful not to rip them.

"By the way, you owe me some new underwear," Emily commented with a smirk.

"I know. I'm not even sorry. I just got carried away." The shorter woman admitted.

"It was sexy, so I'm not complaining."

Emily then rested her bare body against Alison's and pressed their lips together. The blonde lowered her hands to Emily's hips and enjoyed the slow pace the other woman was taking. Even when Emily parted her lips using her tongue, she still kept everything slow and sensual. It was the complete opposite of how Alison had previously taken Emily.

Alison nudged the brunette's nose with her own and whispered, "You are being so gentle with me right now and I was so rough with you. I'm sorry, Em. I just needed you so badly."

Emily chuckled and pressed her lips against the shorter woman's while reaching a hand up to massage her breast. "Never apologize for the way you made me feel. It was so sexy and incredible. I wouldn't change one thing about it."

"I just feel like maybe I should have gone a little slower," Alison said with a whimper when she felt Emily sucking on her neck.

"Trust me, if I could be rough with you right now, I would take full advantage of it," Emily admitted with a particularly harsh nip to the top of Alison's shoulder while her thumb circled the shorter woman's nipple.

The blonde moaned and allowed the conversation to end. Emily carefully worked Alison up. She kissed her shoulders, licked her neck, and sucked on her breasts while Alison weakly scratched Emily's hips as encouragement. This went on for a long while, the two simply enjoying the closeness.

"I love this." Alison admitted as Emily was softly pressing her lips to the blonde's jaw.

"What's that?" She questioned.

"Being close to you. Skin to skin. No barriers between us."

"This is my favorite." Emily proudly stated as she lowered her hand from the blonde's breast, softly tickling every inch of skin until she reached her destination.

Emily pressed her fingertips against Alison's most sensitive area and began to firmly swirl them, earning an immediate whimper from her lover. Alison locked her legs behind Emily, trapping the brunette, though there was nowhere else she would rather be. The warmth that was spreading throughout her body was exactly what she had been needing. Alison pursed her lips until Emily got the point. The two alternated between deep kisses and lingering pecks while Emily continued her ministrations.

Alison reached up and firmly tangled her hands in the comforter, pulling until their entire bodies were covered. She tugged on the blanket, using it as leverage to pull Emily's body even closer to her own. At that point, her senses were completely consumed by the brunette. All she could feel was Emily, all she could see, hear, smell, and taste was Emily. Alison released a particularly loud moan when she realized this was exactly what she had been craving. A night to be consumed by Emily.

The taller woman rubbed faster when she felt the blonde's thighs twitching. Alison roughly tugged on the blankets and raised her shoulders off the bed as she searched for Emily's lips. With each exhale she whimpered, every second the pleasure becoming more intense. Emily's wrist was moving as quickly as possible and it was just enough to give Alison the relief she was searching for. She loudly moaned, not caring if anyone passing by could hear. In Alison's world, only she and Emily existed.

After that, the night seemed never-ending. Alison would please Emily until the brunette couldn't take anymore, and then it was Alison's turn. By the time Alison was spent, Emily was ready to be touched again. The two went back and forth all night, completely exhausting each other until their post-sex cuddle session turned into both of them falling asleep in a tangled heap of limbs.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

The morning after Spencer's wedding, Alison woke up with Emily still by her side. She smiled at the other woman who was peacefully sleeping with her arm draped over her face. They had passed out well after three in the morning. She watched Emily sleep for a moment before she began to softly stroke her cheek. The other woman reluctantly woke up and groaned at the amount of sunlight entering their room.

Alison only woke Emily because they didn't have much time left before they needed to check out. She hated to address the elephant in the room, but she knew Emily was supposed to go back to Texas later that day and they still hadn't decided on a house. Alison knew she and Emily were together again, but she didn't know how she would be able to handle the other woman being so far away. She relied on Emily too much to be without her for a significant length of time.

"Emily, I know you are leaving today but I really don't want you to." Alison weakly whispered.

Emily was suddenly more alert and felt horrible because she knew how much Alison needed her. She felt awful because she didn't want to be away from the blonde. They had reconnected so much over the past few weeks and Emily knew it would tear the other woman apart, even though she wasn't permanently going back to Texas. However, there was no way to tell how long she would be gone. She had her entire house to pack up and she needed to work a notice for her boss. All of her belongings were there. Her job was there. She couldn't just sort everything out in one day.

"I don't want to go either, but I have to. I don't want to be away from you, Ali."

"How long until you come back to Rosewood?" Alison timidly asked.

"I'm not sure. More than likely a few weeks. A month at most." Emily said while sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"That is such a long time." She stated, feeling her throat beginning to tighten.

"I'm not looking forward to being away from you, but I don't really have a choice," Emily said with a frown as she reached up to cup Alison's cheek.

Alison remained silent for a long while after Emily finished speaking. She had a crazy idea in her head and she wanted to think it over for a moment before speaking out loud. It hadn't been an option before because of the baby, but things had drastically changed and now her options had expanded. Emily let the blonde sit in complete silence for several minutes before she stroked her rosy cheek with the pad of her thumb.

"Ali, what are you thinking about?" Emily asked.

"Emily, I need some space. I need away from Elliott. I need to be away from Rosewood. This town holds too many painful memories and I want out of here."

Emily felt her heartbeat increase. She needed Alison to clarify what she was saying before she got too excited. "What are you suggesting?"

"Take me home with you. To Texas." Alison quietly demanded, though it was still a request.

"Are you serious? Please say you're serious!" Emily exclaimed, quickly sitting up, taking the sheet with her.

"Yes, I am serious. I have to get out of here and I want to be wherever you go. You have been my only source of comfort during this whole mess and I'm not ready to be away from you, even if it is only for a few weeks. If you must go back to Texas, then I want to go too."

Emily couldn't control herself. She tackled Alison to the bed and kissed the blonde until they became dizzy. Emily pulled away and checked the time with a frown. "It is almost time to check out. We should get going soon. Plus, my flight is this evening, so I need to go pack and spend some time with my parents, Aria, and Hanna."

"Yeah, and I need to go talk to Elliott. I don't want to just disappear without talking to him first. We still have a lot to sort out." Alison said with a grimace.

"What will you tell him?" Emily nervously asked.

"I'm just going to tell him that I am leaving. He doesn't need to know where I am going, just that I will be ok."

Emily nodded, satisfied with that answer. She pecked Alison on the lips one last time as they began getting dressed and prepared to go back to their homes. The blonde didn't say how long they would be staying in Texas, but that was something Emily would focus on later. For now, Alison was coming home with her and that was all Emily could think about.

 **As I promised, a happy chapter. Still more to come :) I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**There aren't many chapters remaining, which is why I didn't update on Thursday. I am not ready for it to be over. I was also super busy, so I hope you can forgive me :) Let me know what you think!**

Emily rushed around her house cleaning every last thing she could possibly think of. To say she was nervous was an understatement. Sure, she had been spending time with Alison nonstop and they agreed to be together, but the blonde hadn't been to her home. The last time Alison was in her house was when they lived together. She wanted the other woman to like the place, seeing as she would be staying there, for the moment at least. Until they chose a house to move into together. The thought filled Emily with a tingling sensation all the way down to her toes. This excitement also put her on edge because she was impatiently waiting for the blonde to arrive.

Which is how Emily found herself nervously cleaning her home. She swept, mopped, dusted, cleaned her restroom. She even made a trip to the grocery store to pick up some of Alison's favorite snacks, or they used to be her favorites. Emily quickly realized that she was going to have to relearn everything about Alison that she thought she knew. What if Alison was tired of apples and preferred oranges? What if she no longer liked the way a certain candle smelled or what if she hated Emily's laundry detergent? She could even hate the color scheme Emily chose to decorate with. She had done so much work in preparation for Alison's arrival and suddenly she found herself afraid that everything was wrong.

What if Alison hated it all and decided to leave? What if she decided her home with Elliott was more comfortable and familiar? Emily knew that wasn't likely to happen, but the thought alone crushed her. A part of her wished that Alison would have taken the plane with her instead of insisting on driving across the entire country. Yes, her house wouldn't be as spotless, but she would have less time for her nerves and doubts to consume her. She couldn't even call Alison and talk to the blonde in order to calm herself because the other woman had already told her to only call in case of an emergency. Alison wanted to use the time to reflect on her life, where she wanted to be, and the things she needed to do. She insisted on driving alone because she needed the time to think without any distractions, and Emily respected that decision. She would have agreed to anything just as long as it meant that the blonde would be coming to share a home with her.

The trip was well over a twenty-four-hour drive, which Alison had broken down into two days. She was supposed to get a hotel once she had driven about twelve hours, but she still didn't call Emily. So, she had two days to twirl her thumbs and worry. Two days to wonder if anything bad had happened to the blonde. Two days to wonder if she was even on the way or if Elliott had convinced her to stay. It was two days of hell for Emily and she was practically useless once she made it back to work. She went through the motions with her swim class, but she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't teach them anything new. She instructed them to redo everything from the last class she had taught them, convincing them that it was to help with their muscle memory. While her students recreated their last lesson, she sat beside the pool, consumed by thoughts of Alison.

The other woman was supposed to be arriving later that evening and Emily wanted everything to be perfect, if Alison even showed up. Emily had a sinking feeling in her stomach that something was going to go wrong and that this was too good to be true. She just knew that Elliott had either convinced Alison to stay with him or that halfway to Texas the blonde decided to turn back. Not being able to call Alison for some simple reassurance was completely throwing Emily off but she respected the woman's boundaries and allowed her the time and space she needed. Though she was tempted to call several times, however, before she pressed the call button she backed out.

Emily didn't know what time Alison had left her hotel, if she even checked into one, so she didn't know what time to expect her. She didn't even know what town or state Alison had slept in the night before, so she wouldn't know how far away the blonde was. Basically, Emily had no idea what time she should expect Alison or if she should even expect her at all and she felt like she was going insane. Emily was the kind of person who needed to know things. When it came to Alison, over the past few years Emily had deprived herself of all knowledge of the blonde. It was her way of trying to heal but it had also been torture because Emily loved knowing things. She hated secrets or being kept in the dark and at this moment she was definitely blinded by the situation. Was Alison coming or did she ditch her? Was she almost in Texas or had there been a traffic jam? These thoughts were the exact reason that Emily was paying almost zero attention to her swim class. She was thankful that they had remembered everything from their last lesson because she would be no help to them until she got some answers from the blonde who was plaguing her mind.

Once she got off work, Emily decided to grab some takeout, too emotionally exhausted to cook. She wasn't sure if or when Alison would be arriving, so she wasn't sure if she should get enough food for two. Deciding to be optimistic, Emily ordered enough Chinese food for both of them, hoping that Alison would arrive at some point that night to eat. Emily arrived at her empty house, ate her food and refrigerated Alison's, took a shower, put on her pajamas, cleaned her already immaculate home, and waited. She waited on the sofa, jerking her head toward the door whenever she heard a sound, but she was left disappointed every time. This went on for hours, each time resulting in a frown.

Once it was ten at night, Emily decided that she was only torturing herself and made her way into the bedroom. After completing her bedtime ritual Emily curled up under her blankets, hoping to either hear from Alison or manage to get some rest, though she knew her mind wouldn't allow that. There was no way she was going to be able to silence her thoughts until she heard something from Alison. She kept her eyes and ears alert at all times, hoping to hear a car door or see her phone light up. It was well past midnight and Emily was still wide awake. Still nervous. Still afraid. Still worried and still on edge. A part of her wanted to give up and accept that Alison wasn't coming but she wouldn't allow any negativity to consume her. She was still holding out hope that Alison hadn't abandoned her, though she wouldn't be surprised if she did. It was somewhat far-fetched, but Emily couldn't give up on the blonde. She had to remain hopeful for their situation or else she would become devastated.

Emily stared up at her ceiling, though she couldn't see anything considering that she was surrounded by complete darkness. She had been lying in the pitch black for hours, which is why she found herself groaning in pain and shielding her eyes when a sudden light flooded the room. Emily squinted to allow a small amount of light to wash over her eyes and realized her phone was ringing. There weren't many reasons that she would be receiving a phone call after midnight. It was either an emergency, Alison, or both. She swiped to answer the phone, still too blinded to actually see who was calling her.

"Hello?" She answered, hoping to hear Alison's voice.

"Hey, Em. Sorry if I woke you."

Emily sighed. She had waited for over two days to hear from the other woman and finally, she had. Even if Alison wasn't coming, at least Emily knew that she was alive and not dead due to a car crash or something of the sort. Her mind may have run wild with many different scenarios of Alison being hurt.

"No, I wasn't asleep. How are you? Where are you?" Emily wanted to ask many more questions, but she stuck with those two for the moment.

Alison could hear the eagerness in the other woman's voice, causing her to chuckle.

"I am perfectly fine. And unless my GPS has misdirected me, then I should be outside of your house."

"I'm on my way bye!" Emily said so quickly that it came out almost as one word.

Alison laughed as she ended the call and saw a few lights illuminating the previously blacked out house. She watched as the front door was flung open and she was met with a sight that had never failed to take her breath away. Emily's hair was a mess and she was rubbing her eyes as they attempted to adjust to the lights. Alison noticed how short the other woman's pajamas were and immediately averted her eyes upward as to not focus on the long, tanned legs. Alison made her way across the walkway, rolling her suitcases behind her as she approached the brunette's front porch. Once Emily had helped Alison to get her much too heavy luggage inside her home, she flung her arms around the blonde.

"I was so worried about you," Emily whispered.

"Why were you worried?" Alison asked with a smile, happy to know that Emily cared so deeply.

"I went two days without hearing from you. Anything could have happened. You could have been hurt. You could have changed your mind."

"So, me changing my mind frightens you?" Alison asked as she released the taller woman and began taking in her new surroundings.

"Yes," Emily admitted, deciding to be honest about her feelings. "I was terrified that you would change your mind and stay with Elliott. I mean, I know that you two are separated, but you're still married, so I was worried... I was just looking forward to having you here and once my hopes were up I didn't want them to come crashing down."

Alison affectionately rubbed Emily's arm. "I couldn't change my mind about this. I have my hopes up as well... Nice place by the way. It's pretty dark outside but from what I can tell it is very cute."

"I'll gladly give you a tour tomorrow. Right now, it is late and we both need to get some rest. I couldn't sleep all that well, not knowing what was going on with you, but now that you are safe and you are here, I am feeling completely relaxed. I think I could fall asleep the second I close my eyes." Emily said with a chuckle.

"Then let's go to bed. I am exhausted after that drive." Alison said with a groan while stretching her arms high over her head.

"I told you that you should have taken a plane," Emily stated, causing Alison to roll her eyes.

"I needed the time to think. It was exhausting, but I got some clarity. I feel better, emotionally. Plus, now I have my car here. I won't be stuck in the house all day while you are at work."

"You could have always dropped me off at work and kept my car." Emily reasoned but Alison shook her head with wide eyes.

"I am not waking up that early unless I have to. I love my sleep."

Emily fondly smiled, knowing all too well how much Alison loved to sleep. "I'm glad you are here. So, where would you like to sleep? I wasn't sure if you wanted to share a room or if you wanted the guest room. Either one is fine."

Emily would be ok if Alison wanted to sleep in the guest room, but she really hoped the blonde would come to bed with her. She felt a bit silly for suggesting the guest room, but she was incredibly nervous after two days of constant stress and she just wanted the other woman to be comfortable.

"I appreciate you giving me the option for some space and privacy, but right now I really want to fall asleep next to you. I need to be close to you, Em." Alison said as she wrapped her arms around Emily's neck.

Emily couldn't prevent the smile from spreading across her face. She tightly squeezed the shorter woman and inhaled the sweet scent of her long, golden hair. The two lingered in the living room as they gently swayed before Emily broke the silence.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Come on, I have some pajamas you can borrow. I know how you love to sleep in my clothes." Emily teased as she took Alison by the hand and guided her down the short hallway that led to her bedroom.

As they walked, Alison took in her surroundings. The place was very much Emily. The decorations were pretty but definitely not Alison's taste. When they shared an apartment, everything was a perfect blend of Alison and Emily's taste, but now everything was 100 percent Emily. Alison was thankful for that. It just meant that no one else had stuck around long enough to have an impact on Emily's home. It was silly for her to think that way, considering that she is still married to someone else and had built a life with that man, but knowing that no one else had gotten close to Emily's heart made it easier for Alison to relax in this strange new place. Emily opened the door to the master bedroom and immediately pulled open a few drawers as she sorted through her stacks of pajamas.

"Here, this should work," Emily said as she handed Alison an extremely small tank top.

"You want me to sleep in this? What about bottoms?" Alison asked with a raised brow.

"I thought the shirt was just enough," Emily said as she fought back a smile.

Alison rolled her eyes and tossed the garment at the taller woman. "Nice try."

"Fine, here. This may be better suitable for you." Emily then handed the teacher a baggy t-shirt and some sweatpants.

"Much better. I'm going to go find my toothbrush. I'll be back in a few minutes." Alison said as she dismissed herself.

The blonde wasn't gone for too long. When she returned, she thought that Emily may have been asleep but when she pulled the blankets back she was met with those breathtaking mocha eyes that she had spent years looking into. Alison smiled as she made herself comfortable, scooting as close to Emily as possible. Their arms instinctively wrapped around each other and Emily knew she was finally going to be able to get some proper sleep. Thankfully she didn't have to wake up early, so she would be able to sleep in with Alison. She watched as the blonde shifted her body until she was in a comfortable position. As soon as Alison closed her eyes Emily spoke.

"Hey, Ali."

"Hmm?" The blonde hummed her response.

"Can I have a goodnight kiss?"

Alison didn't open her eyes. She merely smiled before puckering her lips. Emily leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to those heart-shaped lips, hating to pull away but knowing she needed to. When Emily opened her eyes, she noticed that Alison was puckering her lips once more. The swimmer chuckled before speaking.

"Is that your way of asking for one more?"

Alison nodded and kept her lips pursed. Emily was happy to oblige and once again found her lips pressed against Alison's. She could get used to this, kissing the blonde before bed. Falling asleep beside her. She was used to it, long ago, and knew she would do anything to have that life again. For the first time since she and Alison broke up, Emily could feel her heart beginning to mend. Things were definitely looking great for them. Emily wrapped her arms even tighter around the love of her life and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. This time she was going to fight for Alison. She wasn't going to run away and suffer. She was going to begin building the life she was meant to live with the woman she was intended to spend it with. Emily released a relieved sigh when she felt all the tension escaping her body.

Before Alison fell asleep she noted how at peace she felt. How at home she felt. She knew it was because she was with Emily, but there was also something about the swimmer's home that was comforting as well. Everything had been dark, but from what she could see, it was a nice neighborhood. The house obviously had more than one bedroom, which would be great for future use. It had a front porch that reminded her of the one at her parent's home. She would want to go on a tour and explore the neighborhood as well, but she had a feeling she was going to fall in love with it. After months of secretly searching for the perfect home, Alison had a gut feeling that she was already in it. It was too soon to make that decision, but something in the back of her mind told her she was finally home. She was finally where she needed to be. There was no nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her she was making a mistake. Everything was silent and peaceful. It was relaxing enough for Alison to finally drift off to sleep with a ghost of a smile on her face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Posting a day early just because I hate making you wait a full week. Enjoy!**

Two weeks had passed since Alison arrived at Emily's home in Texas. They were taking things slowly now that the reality of it had sunk in. They hadn't been intimate, but they did share some of the sweetest kisses either woman had ever experienced. When Emily woke up early to go to work and saw Alison peacefully sleeping beside her, she would always peck the blonde on the lips before slipping out of bed undetected. Every night they also had to share a goodnight kiss. Or two. This seemed to be something Alison was unable to sleep without, and each time it ended with the blonde's head on Emily's chest.

While Emily was at work, Alison relaxed around the house, sometimes venturing out into the city to explore, but never going too far. She always made sure that when Emily returned home from work that she was there to happily greet the other woman. Each time, it would take Emily's breath away. She was easily getting used to seeing Alison the moment she walked in the door and this day was no different, only it was.

Emily stepped out of her car and approached her home with a box in her arms. She had a surprise for the other woman and she was incredibly excited about it. She placed the box on the front step while she slid her key in the lock. She opened the front door and, yes, Alison greeted her like always, only this time, there was a luggage bag beside the front door. Emily stared at it for a moment and felt pure dread wash over her body.

"You're going somewhere?" Emily asked as Alison approached her.

"Yeah, back to Rosewood. I mean, it eventually had to happen. I was doing a lot of thinking today and I thought I might as well do it now while I have the nerve." Alison explained, unaware of Emily growing turmoil.

It wasn't until she saw the taller woman's bottom lip quivering and a tear roll down her cheek that she realized something was wrong. Alison immediately rushed toward Emily and cupped her cheeks.

"Em, what happened?"

The swim coach sniffled before answering. "I was so afraid you would regret this and want to go back."

Alison finally understood that there was a misunderstanding and she softly laughed while pulling Emily in for a brief kiss.

"I'm not going back to stay. Relax, Em. I am coming back to you. I promise. I just need to pack some more things since this stay in Texas is going to be more permanent than I originally anticipated."

Emily sighed as she rested her forehead on Alison's shoulder. She was relieved while simultaneously feeling foolish for jumping to conclusions.

"It is?" Emily questioned.

"I am in love with this house. I love this neighborhood and the entire city. I don't want to keep looking for houses in Rosewood. I want to stay here with you. If you want to. You are already settled here. There is no reason for both of us to uproot our lives. I will happily stay in Texas with you. If you want to."

"I would love that so much," Emily admitted while tightly squeezing the blonde. "I don't care where we live, but I won't deny that it is so much easier to stay here than to move a house load of stuff across the country and find another job."

Alison pecked Emily on the neck before continuing to explain, "I have to move some things to my parent's house. And I need to talk to Elliott about our divorce. I already got my dad to get the paperwork drawn up by his lawyer. I don't want to fight him for any of our belongings. I only want what was mine before we got married and that is it, so it should be simple and fast. Will you be able to come with me?" Alison hopefully asked.

"I won't be able to leave work again. They just gave me three weeks for Spencer's wedding." Emily said with a frown.

"I didn't think so, but I had to ask," Alison said as she stepped away from the brunette.

"So, how long will you stay there?" Emily asked, hoping she wouldn't have to go too long without the blonde. She had already spent way too much time away from Alison and she wasn't looking forward to ever experiencing that again.

"It will be late when I get there tonight, so I'll go straight to my parents. By tomorrow, I'll have plenty of time to pack and when he gets off work I can talk to him. I will probably need to spend a little time the following day to finish up and spend some time with my parents, so two, possibly three days. I won't stay longer than that, I promise."

"Take all the time that you need. Even though I already miss you." Emily whispered.

"A few days away from you is long enough. I will get everything done as quickly as possible." Alison backed away from the other woman with a soft smile. "My flight isn't for a few hours. Why don't we eat some dinner and then cuddle up and watch a movie?"

"That sounds perfect. I kind of had a long day and I just want to relax with you." Emily agreed.

She began to walk away but Alison stopped her.

"Em, what's in that box?" Alison asked as she looked behind the taller woman.

Emily had almost forgotten the surprise she had gotten for the other woman. She widely smiled as she turned around, gently picking up the box and closing the front door.

"I really hope you like this. I read somewhere that it was sometimes a good thing for a mother who miscarried to have something they can care for. Something tiny and cute that they can love." Emily explained.

Alison was shocked that Emily was so openly discussing her miscarriage but at the same time, she wasn't surprised. Emily didn't tiptoe around her. She always tackled things head first, which Alison appreciated.

"Emily?" Alison skeptically asked as the brunette removed the lid to reveal one grey and one black and orange kitten.

The blonde covered her mouth and gasped. The kittens were asleep, but she scooped them both into her arms nonetheless, instantly waking them.

"Emily, they are so small and adorable. I love them already!" The blonde exclaimed.

"I was originally going to go to a pet store and get just one, but one of the guys at work had these kittens that he couldn't take care of. It was his cat's first litter, but for some reason, she wouldn't take care of them. So, I figured one could be mine and one will be yours. We have to bottle feed them because they are too young to be weaned."

Emily explained as she turned to retrieve two tiny kitten bottles from her bag along with a can of formula.

Alison felt herself melting as the tiny balls of fur rooted around in her arms and began mewing.

"You want me to make the bottles so you can feed them?" Emily asked, and Alison rapidly nodded without looking away from her new pets.

Emily smiled as she read the directions on the can, completely pleased with her idea. She loved putting a smile on Alison's face. The blonde followed Emily into the kitchen with the crying kittens in her arms.

"I don't want to leave them, but I have a feeling taking them on this trip would be a bad idea."

"Don't worry about it," Emily replied as she prepared the bottles. "I will take great care of them. I will just carry them to work with me since they need to be fed so often."

"Are you sure that is ok?" Alison asked, feeling protective of the new tiny creatures.

"They will be fine. Jackson has had them at work all week anyway. I will make the box nice and cozy for them, I will even get them a stuffed animal to cuddle. I will keep them in my boss' office and check on them at specific times. I will feed them when they need it and I will spend my breaks giving them all the love and attention I have."

"You promise?" Alison asked while accepting the bottle and feeding the grey kitten while Emily took the black and orange one.

"I promise I will take care of our babies," Emily said as she fondly watched the blonde.

After a moment of silence, Alison looked up at Emily and shyly smiled. "Thank you for this. You don't know how incredible this feels."

"Anything for you, Ali," Emily said as she blushed.

"We need to pick out names," Alison announced.

"Do you have any ideas?" Emily asked as she eyed the orange kitten who was happily tearing into the bottle.

"This one is Gypsy," Alison announced as she stared at the grey kitten.

"Why Gypsy?" Emily asked.

"Because it was the first thing that I thought of and it is cute. I like it." She proudly reasoned.

"Gypsy is perfect. Well, if we are going with the first thing we think of, then this little guy is Cheeto."

Alison laughed at the other woman but nodded nonetheless. "Gypsy and Cheeto it is."

~X~X~X~X~X

Alison had tried to get as much sleep as possible when arriving at her parent's home, but it proved to be almost impossible. She was too busy thinking about what she wanted to say to Elliott. She received the divorce papers from her father, and it was more paperwork than she imagined. After reading each and every page, Alison was exhausted. She signed and printed her initials in all the right places, even highlighting the areas where Elliott needed to sign. There was a lot more to a divorce than she realized and soaking in all the information had given her a headache. She was trying to get it done peacefully and hopefully, Elliott wouldn't fight her on anything.

The next morning Alison awoke, feeling as though she hadn't slept for more than five minutes. She groggily made her way into the empty kitchen to make herself some coffee, something she would have to get used to once again, considering that she had to stop drinking it all together while she was pregnant. She pulled out a stool and sat at the island while enjoying the hot liquid. Alison pulled out her phone and sent Emily a good morning text, equipped with a kissy face emoji. She knew the other woman would likely be in the pool at this moment, so she didn't expect a reply anytime soon.

Alison drank her coffee and enjoyed the silence of her parent's home. They were both currently at work, where Alison would normally be, had she not decided to quit once she found out she was pregnant. She planned to stay at home with her child until he was old enough to go to school, then she would return to work. She always thought being a stay at home mom sounded miserable, but she was actually looking forward to spending all that time with her son. She would be the one changing all his diapers during the day, feeding him and playing with him instead of a daycare employee or anyone else. She was going to be the one to bond with the baby and Alison had been excited for that.

Now, she was without her job and without her son. She was also soon to be without her husband, though that part didn't bother her. The only aspect of her divorce that she wasn't relieved about was the fact that she would miss Elliott. She would miss him as a person. As a friend. She couldn't deny that they truly were friends. At least, that is how she saw him. They shared a home and spent almost every single day together. Of course, she would miss him, just not in the way that he would miss her.

She knew he looked at her as a husband should view his wife. There was a time where she was convinced that she felt that way as well, but in her heart and mind, Alison knew she never loved him the way she did Emily. She loved Elliott, but she was in love with Emily. Those were two very different things and though Alison tried to build a life without Emily, it proved to be impossible. A life without Emily could never happen for her. That was exactly why the headache that had accompanied her the night before and her current lack of sleep would be worth it. She was enduring the stress so that she could continue her life with Emily, which is exactly where she wanted and needed to be.

After washing her mug, Alison went into her old bedroom and got dressed for the day. Her outfit consisted of a t-shirt and sweatpants, which would be perfect since she would be spending the day packing. She was thankful for her father, who had supplied her with a large stack of flattened boxes. He had also arranged for a moving company to carry her belongings from Elliott's house to their basement, which was a relief because Alison's rental car would only hold so much.

She knew she had a long day ahead of her, which she was dreading but also ready to get it over. Alison knew she had several hours before Elliott would return home from work, so she had plenty of time to think about what to say while she was packing.

The drive to her old home was short and silent. Alison was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even bother turning on the radio. She knew Elliott wouldn't be home, but she was relieved, nonetheless, when she arrived and saw that his car was gone. She carried the stack of divorce papers in one hand and a roll of packing tape in the other as she made her way into the familiar home. She placed the papers on the counter and made quick work of carrying the boxes inside and assembling them.

She knew it was going to be a long day, which is why she wished Emily was with her. Sure, it wouldn't be a good idea for Emily to be there once Elliott came home because it would be awkward to have the divorce talk in front of a third party, but she still longed to have the brunette by her side. Emily was her rock. Emily made her feel strong. Emily made her feel like she could do anything.

With a long sigh, Alison set out on her mission to pack all her belongings before the movers arrived.

~X~X~X~X~X

Alison discovered something about herself. She realized that she could get a lot done when her mind was racing. She was too busy thinking about the conversation she would soon be having with her future ex-husband. She thought about all the different scenarios and which way would be best to approach it. By the time she even thought to look at the time, she realized that the movers would be arriving in an hour and she was nearly finished packing. The timing was perfect.

The day had flown by so quickly. The only time Alison had stopped packing and took a moment to relax was when she heard her phone alerting her of an incoming text from Emily. The woman she was doing this for. The woman who had always and would always own her heart. She smiled and sighed as she read a sweet message from the brunette.

"Good morning, Ali. I hope your day isn't too stressful. I wish I could be there to help you pack. I know you will be busy all day, but please call me before you go to sleep tonight. No matter how late it is. I miss you and I hate waking up without you beside me. And the kittens are fine. We miss you."

After that message, she and Emily didn't text again. It was normal, though. Emily couldn't exactly text her while she was busy splashing around in a pool all day. Alison honestly enjoyed their daytime silence. It just gave them things to talk about when they were both home at night. There had been plenty of times that she and Elliott didn't have much to discuss when he got home because he had already texted her or called and told her exactly how his day was. She was glad she didn't have that with Emily. The brunette didn't suffocate her in the least bit and they always had something to talk about. Things with Emily just fit perfectly.

The rest of Alison's day had passed in a blur. The movers had come to take the boxes to her parent's house, with only a few labeled to be shipped to her new home in Texas. The only thing left to do was wait for Elliott to come home so that she could finally let him go and so they could both move on. Alison looked at the large clock hanging on the living room wall and almost on cue, she saw headlights illuminating the front windows. Alison took a deep breath as Elliott walked in the front door, only mildly startled to see Alison nervously standing by the sofa.

"Hello, Alison. I saw lights on and hoped it was you, but I didn't recognize the car parked out front, so I wasn't sure."

Alison cleared her throat before explaining. "It's a rental."

"Why do you need a rental," He questioned. "You weren't in a car wreck, were you?"

Elliott looked over Alison's body to ensure that she was alright, but she quickly dismissed the idea. "Don't worry. I'm fine. The car is fine."

The man physically relaxed at the news and gave her a soft smile. "I'm happy to see you."

"You say that now." She said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" He asked as he approached her.

"I just mean that I have something I need to talk to you about," Alison said as she turned and made her way into the kitchen, being followed by the confused man.

She swiftly scooped up the stack of papers and sat down in her normal chair at the kitchen table. Elliott followed, eyeing the documents wearily. As soon as he sat down Alison slid the papers toward him without a word. Alison had thought about all the ways she could approach this but finally decided that it would be best if she said as little as possible. He carefully flipped through the pages, instantly noticing that Alison had already signed everything. Her intentions were clear, and it was in his hands now. He could sign the papers without another word and watch his marriage disintegrate or he could try and fix things. He could also make things difficult and refuse to sign, but that wasn't the kind of person he was. He looked up at the blonde and noticed how exhausted she looked. He knew she didn't just decide this out of thin air. Alison was always careful with her decisions and with a deep sigh, he began signing the documents. It wasn't until halfway through the paperwork that he paused and looked at the blonde once more.

"Are you sure about this, Alison?" He asked, hoping that she would say no. Hoping that she would give some indication that she wasn't completely positive about the decision.

"I am sure." She whispered in a raspy voice.

"We haven't even tried to fix this. If you are truly unhappy with me, I won't make this difficult for you, but Alison, I want you to stay. I want to fix this. I've tried so hard to ensure that I was good to you and that you were happy. Can this be fixed? Is there anything I can do?" He softly pleaded while squeezing the pen in his right hand.

Alison wanted to cry because she knew his heart was breaking, but she took a deep breath and held herself together while shaking her head. "No, it can't be fixed."

Elliott stared at her for a moment before bowing his head and resumed signing the papers that were tearing apart his marriage. He was so upset that he didn't even bother reading them. He just needed to get it over with, so he could be alone. Sure, he knew it was coming, but to have the reality of it thrown in his face, that was a different thing entirely. He paused once he reached the final page, staring at the last line, willing it all to disappear. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them, only to see that the daunting line was still there, waiting for him. With a shaky breath, he scribbled his signature before stacking the papers and sliding them across the table.

Alison placed her hand on the stack and sadly looked up at her soon to be ex-husband as he rose from his chair. He stared at her for a moment, taking a good look at the woman he had grown to love. The woman who had broken his heart. He shook his head before walking away and tossing over his shoulder, "Tell Emily I said hello."

Alison froze. She wasn't sure if he said it with malice or if he was simply acknowledging the fact that he knew why she was leaving, even though she wouldn't tell him. Either way, it was unsettling to the blonde. She reached into her pocket and removed her house key and wedding ring. She left the items on the table, took the stack of papers and quickly made her way out of her old home for the last time.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

After she arrived at her parent's house, Alison enjoyed the evening with them. She was still tense after her short conversation with Elliott but found herself relaxing as she ate dinner with her family. She was thankful that they didn't pry into her personal life too much. The only time it was mentioned was when her father asked about her day.

"So, did everything go well today?"

"Actually yes, it was exhausting, but it went a lot smoother than I imagined. The movers were especially helpful." Alison replied with a thankful smile.

"I'm glad I could help in some way since I couldn't get off work." The older man said with a frown.

"I understand. This was all very last minute." Alison dismissively said, not wanting her father to feel guilty when he had already helped her out tremendously.

"So, this move to Texas will be permanent?" Mrs. DiLaurentis asked.

"Yeah. I wasn't sure at first. I really just needed to get away for a while, but I love it there. The house is gorgeous. The city is amazing. Everything is perfect, and I think getting away from Rosewood will help me to get back to my old self again."

"Is everything really perfect or is it just because Emily is there?" Alison's mother teased, causing her daughter to blush.

"I think it is a combination of both." Alison honestly replied.

"So, are you and Emily getting back together?" Jessica DiLaurentis asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah, we couldn't help it. I never stopped loving her."

She was worried her parents would be upset with her for wanting to leave Elliott, especially because she would be moving across the country to reconnect with her ex, but instead, they offered her nothing but support. Her happiness, along with her brother's, had always been vital to her parents, so she should have known they wouldn't have cared what she did. She was honestly going to miss them, and she knew they returned the feeling, but she had to leave. She no longer wanted to be in Rosewood. It felt right for her to start over somewhere new.

After spending several hours with her parents, Alison decided to go to bed. After physically moving around all day and the lack of sleep from the night before, she knew going to bed early was an excellent idea. Once Alison had brushed her teeth and was comfortable in her old bed, she pulled out her phone and called her favorite brunette. She knew Emily would be awake, seeing as the time difference made it an hour early in Texas. After the second ring, she was greeted by the soothing sound of Emily's voice.

"Hey, Ali. I didn't expect you to call so soon."

"I didn't sleep well last night, and this day was exhausting. I couldn't wait to get in bed and call you." Alison said as she snuggled under the blankets.

"How did everything go?" Emily asked as she stretched across her sofa, blankly staring at the muted television.

"It was fine. I spent a few hours packing. The movers did all the heavy lifting and then I spent an entire ten minutes with Elliott. We barely talked. I didn't know what to say, so I just handed him a stack of divorce papers. He tried talking me out of it but in the end, he signed them and now I just need to go file them. After I get that done I will be coming home, which I can't wait to do. How are the babies?"

"I can't wait for you to get here too. Now that I am used to sleeping beside you again, I really don't manage well without you. I miss you, Ali. So do the kittens. They are fine, by the way. They are rowdy little things." Emily noted with a soft laugh.

Alison smiled before she replied. "I miss you so much, Em."

"You sound pretty tired. Why don't you get some rest and call me tomorrow?"

"I don't want to stop talking to you, but that is probably a good idea. I can barely keep my eyes open." Alison said, followed by a yawn.

"Just get some rest and you will be back home before you know it," Emily said before they ended the call.

Though she still wasn't used to sharing a home with the blonde, it still thrilled her. Alison was coming home to her and they would finally be able to build their life together. A year ago, or even two, had someone told Emily that Alison would be moving into her house, she would think they were crazy. Now, she couldn't be more happy or thankful that it was a reality.

 **Unless I change my mind and add something last minute, we're looking at one more full chapter and an epilogue. I hate to see it ending, but it has had a good run. To the guest reviewer who wanted a preview of the next installment, I apologize, but I can't do that because I really haven't started it yet. I haven't had any time to write lately. However, once I start writing it doesn't take me long to complete a story. This one will be different because it will be a series of one-shots. There may be one from Emily and Alison's college days, or there may be one twenty years into the future. They won't be in any particular order. This will be my way of giving you guys whatever you want. I have had some people ask for a honeymoon chapter, which I already have ideas for. I did have someone who wanted a flashback to college, so I will do that. This will be my way of ensuring that there are no questions left unanswered.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I was supposed to update last Monday, and I apologize! I had an extra busy week and this chapter needed a lot of editing. I was also experiencing some laptop issues, which prevented me from editing. I ordered some replacement parts and installed them over the weekend, and I have been finishing up this chapter as quickly as possible! :) I hope you enjoy. Only one chapter remaining!**

Emily bounced her knees up and down as she anxiously waited for Alison to exit the airport. She would have gladly parked her car and went inside to meet the woman that she terribly missed, but the blonde insisted that Emily bring the kittens when she picked her up. Which is why Emily was waiting in the car. She didn't know how long it would take Alison to exit the plane and to find her luggage, and she couldn't leave the kittens behind for an unknown amount of time. The swimmer aimlessly stroked the tiny balls of fur while her eyes scanned the crowds of people exiting the airport. Every time she saw a flash of blonde hair her eyes would dart in the direction, and they had been disappointed many times until she finally spotted her blonde. Emily placed the kittens in their box and swiftly exited her vehicle as she quickly made her way across the parking lot and approached the shorter woman.

"Ali," Emily happily exclaimed as she engulfed the petite blonde.

Alison merely giggled while nuzzling her face against Emily's neck. "Hi there."

"I might have missed you." Emily playfully admitted.

"I know I missed you." Alison pulled back and happily covered Emily's lips with her own.

Emily hummed into the kiss and contently sighed. This was exactly what she missed.

"You aren't allowed to go back to Rosewood anytime soon." Emily teased.

"I don't plan on it. I can't stand being away from you." Alison softly said as she rested her cheek on Emily's shoulder.

"I know two little furry creatures that would love to see you," Emily whispered while stroking her hands up and down Alison's back.

"I missed our babies," Alison stated while lifting her head.

"They are waiting for you in the car. Go on, I'll get your bags."

"Wait," Alison interrupted as Emily attempted to pull away.

Before Emily could question the shorter woman, she felt Alison's arms squeezing her even tighter. She reciprocated the hug and pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead.

"I just needed one more second with you. I've missed you so much." The shorter woman whispered.

When Alison was finally willing to release her lover, she walked with a skip in her step as she approached her girlfriend's car. The moment she opened the door she was greeted by the sound of two incredibly vocal kittens.

"Come here, little ones." Alison cooed while scooping them into her arms.

She happily nuzzled the tops of their heads and smiled when they began squirming and mewing even louder. Emily loaded Alison's luggage into her trunk while her girlfriend made herself comfortable in the passenger seat. When Emily returned to her place behind the steering wheel she instantly leaned over and pecked the shorter woman on the cheek.

"Are they going to get all of your attention now?" She playfully pouted.

"Yes." Alison deadpanned causing Emily to huff.

"I'll take them back to Jackson." Emily threatened, but both women knew there was no truth behind it based on Emily's teasing smile.

"You will sleep on the sofa." Alison insisted with an arched brow.

Emily rolled her eyes and leaned forward once more to kiss her girlfriend.

"You know I would never do that," Emily whispered against the blonde's lips.

"And you know the only time you can sleep on the sofa is when I am with you."

Emily leaned back and fastened her seatbelt with a smile she couldn't erase. "Let's go home."

~X~X~X~X~X

"Are the kittens asleep?" Emily asked when Alison entered the living room wearing a thin baby blue t-shirt and a small pair of pajama shorts.

"Yes, I put their box on the floor close to my side of the bed. So, it looks like we will be hanging out in here." The blonde replied while making herself comfortable on the sectional sofa and stretching her legs out. Emily lifted her blanket and wrapped it around the shorter woman who was currently nuzzling against her.

"I am so glad to be home," Alison admitted while closing her eyes and sighing.

"I hated it when you were gone," Emily whispered.

"I won't have to leave for a while. I think I need to make one last trip on the day the divorce is finalized, but for now, dad's lawyer will be handling everything for me."

"How do you feel? Now that everything is so final." Emily curiously asked while stroking her fingertips up and down the blonde's back.

"I feel light and free," Alison admitted while tossing her thigh over Emily's hip.

"The reason I so suddenly decided to go back and take care of everything is because I realized I have been tense. I have had so much weighing down on me, and it was difficult to relax knowing I still had so much that needed to be taken care of. I couldn't fully embrace this new life when a large part of my past was still looming over me. How could I build a life with you in Texas when all of my belongings were in Rosewood?" Alison paused and took a breath before continuing.

"I was also worried that you would be uneasy about the situation. I am technically still married, and I didn't want you to doubt me for two seconds. Then my concerns were proven right when I told you I was going back to Rosewood. You cried, Em. Because you thought I was going back to Elliott. And I never want you to feel that way. So, I knew that moving my stuff out of his house and getting the paperwork started was something I had to do. . . For both of us."

Emily began aimlessly stroking her girlfriend's thigh while soaking in every word.

"And now I feel free. I don't feel an ounce of stress right now." Alison finished with a relieved sigh.

Once Alison was finished talking, Emily allowed her mind to wander. She thought back to a night they had shared a week prior.

 _ **Emily exited the shower after a long day at work. Her body was sore from all the laps she swam. It was the day that she taught her advanced class and Emily always swam with them. She wanted to show her class that she didn't expect anything from them that she herself couldn't do as well. It was exhausting, but that was the way Emily wanted to teach.**_

 _ **As usual, she exited the shower wearing no clothes. Some nights she would actually wear pajamas, but this night, she was too tired to bother. When she entered her bedroom, she found Alison already in bed, wearing a cheeky grin when she realized Emily was completely bare.**_

 _ **"Come here." The blonde encouraged, reaching her arms out for the brunette to fall into.**_

 _ **Emily happily made her way into the shorter woman's arms and instantly relaxed when she felt the comforter being pulled over her body.**_

 _ **"You really did have a rough day, huh?" Alison asked while threading her fingers through Emily's damp locks.**_

 _ **"Yeah, but it's ok. I love it." Emily said with a smile while craning her neck in search of her lover's lips.**_

 _ **Alison happily reciprocated the affection but nuzzled her nose against Emily's when she felt the brunette attempting to deepen the kiss. She wrapped her arms around the tanned woman even tighter than before and whispered with her lips against Emily's.**_

 _ **"Get some rest, my love."**_

 _ **Emily wasn't upset that her girlfriend had practically shot her down. She truly was exhausted, but she would have found the energy, somehow, had Alison wanted to continue.**_

"Do you think that may be the reason we haven't made love since you got here?" Emily asked while allowing her fingertips to travel even higher, teasingly delving underneath the other woman's shorts.

"Yes, I just wasn't feeling like myself. Not with all the nagging voices in the back of my head telling me I had so much to get done. It is difficult to be in the mood when your mind is always racing." Alison stated with a frown.

"And what about now? You said you were feeling light and free." Emily pointed out with a sly smile.

Alison bit her bottom lip and gazed into Emily's eyes before taunting the tanned woman. "Why don't you find out just how I'm feeling?"

Emily rolled on top of her girlfriend and rubbed their noses together before covering the other woman's lips with her own. Alison hummed in approval, having truly missed the physical contact. She pulled the blanket tighter around them and sighed when she felt Emily's hand sliding up the back of her shorts. She opened her mouth, briefly massaging her tongue against Emily's. The swimmer pressed one kiss against Alison's cheek, then her jaw, her neck, and began making her way down.

She paused when she was eye-level with Alison's breasts, taking a moment to nuzzle her face between them. Once Emily realized there was only one thin barrier separating her face and Alison's chest, she groaned.

"This is my favorite." She admitted, voice already becoming husky from arousal.

"What?" Alison questioned while spreading her fingers out against the tanned woman's lower back.

"When you don't wear a bra," Emily replied while reaching up and cupping one breast and covering the other with kisses.

Alison slowly took a deep breath when she felt Emily repetitively pressing her lips against her stiffening nipple. She had to suppress a whimper when she felt Emily sucking on the hardening bud through her shirt.

Just when Alison felt as though her body was melting into the sofa, Emily continued kissing lower. She slightly raised the blonde's shirt and dragged her tongue from one hip bone to the next, causing Alison to squirm. When she noticed how much her lover was enjoying it, Emily slowly repeated this motion several times. Alison rested her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders and felt her body heating up with each stroke of Emily's tongue against her skin.

"I love the way that feels, but please don't tease." She quietly requested.

Emily wasn't going to argue about it, so she sat up and grasped the waistband of Alison's shorts and panties, sliding them down creamy, pale legs until they were discarded. She settled her body between Alison's legs before tossing the blonde's thighs over her shoulders. Emily then leaned forward and began doing what she had wanted for weeks. Alison gasped when she felt Emily's tongue make first contact with her most sensitive area.

Alison had been relatively silent up until this point, but she was unable to hold herself together when she felt Emily's head bobbing up and down between her legs. She released a shaky breath and an audible moan before softly calling out, "I love you."

Emily raised her head and attempted to reply, "I lov..." But was cut off by the feeling of her girlfriend's hands pressing on the back of her head.

"Don't you dare stop." Alison breathlessly demanded. "I know you love me. Oh. . . you feel too good to stop."

Alison kept her hands firmly pressed against the back of Emily's head to ensure that she didn't stop even for a moment. It turned Emily on even further and fueled her desire to continue. She fluttered her tongue slightly faster and squeezed the shorter woman's hips.

Alison was already getting close, but she needed a little help to fall over the edge. She gently tugged on Emily's hair and whispered, " Please, put your hands on me. I need to feel you."

Emily growled at how sexy the other woman was being. She reached her hands up and began kneading her lover's breasts while focusing on the throbbing clit that was currently pressed against her lips. She sucked on the small bundle and bullied it with her tongue while Alison's trembling voice called out her name.

"That's it, Em. That's it."

Emily firmly squeezed the blonde's chest and kept her motions steady while Alison was being consumed by the pleasure.

Alison spent the rest of the evening reconnecting with her girlfriend in their home. It had been so long since she and Emily shared a residence, and it took her breath away when she really thought about it. When she thought about where her life was heading, there wasn't a single doubt or worry. Alison knew that Emily was her past, present, and future, and there was no escaping the woman who had captured her heart all those years ago. Alison was happy, she was in love, and she couldn't ask for more.

~X~X~X~X

Several months had passed since Alison made her trip to Rosewood to begin the process of divorcing Elliott. After she filed the paperwork, it was a lengthy process. However, Alison felt like she could finally breathe on the day that the divorce was finalized and she was able to return to her maiden name. Emily would never admit it, but she felt her own sense of relief. She never could stomach calling the blonde 'Alison Rollins.'

What made the swim coach even happier was the fact that Alison seemed happier than she had ever seen her. Alison applied for several teaching positions and even accepted one job as an English teacher at a local middle school, though she wasn't too enthusiastic about it. Alison wasn't sure she would enjoy teaching students in that age range. There were several high schools she genuinely wanted to work at, but the one school that offered to hire her wasn't the first on her list. However, it would have to do. It wasn't enough to dampen her mood. Nothing was going to bring Alison down.

Life was perfect and there weren't many things that could make it any better for either woman. Like most nights, Alison was at home waiting for Emily to arrive, but the tanned woman seemed to be running a little late. Alison wasn't concerned. She patiently waited for the brunette, who was supposed to be picking her up for a date night. It was Emily's idea. She told Alison that she wanted to take her out for a nice dinner, and the blonde wasn't going to argue. She loved going on dates with Emily. The nervousness and excitement made her feel like a school kid all over again.

Alison was killing time by reading one of her many books and mindlessly scratching Cheeto's back. The kittens had grown significantly over the months and they were excellent company while Alison was home alone. She found herself having a lot of free time while Emily was at work. Her job at the middle school wouldn't begin until the new school year was starting up, so until then, Alison had to keep her mind occupied. She decided to brush up on some novels she would require her class to read. She was used to teaching high schoolers, so their reading list was slightly more advanced. Alison wanted to familiarize herself with a few of the novels and this was the perfect time to do so.

She was steadily making her way through The Count of Monte Cristo when she finally heard Emily's car pull into the driveway. She looked at the clock hanging on the living room wall and smiled. Emily was a few minutes late, but that didn't matter. Alison was just happy to be leaving for their date. She stood and tossed her purse over her shoulder as she was headed to the door. However, she paused for a moment when she heard the doorbell ring.

Her eyebrows creased as she wondered who it could be. She was sure it had been Emily that pulled into their driveway, but the brunette never rang the bell at her own home. She shrugged and reached for the knob, assuming it had to be someone that Emily knew. Alison slowly opened the door and felt herself sighing through a smile. She was sure it would have been someone else. However, it really was Emily, wearing a beautiful off-white dress and extending a bouquet of flowers to the blonde.

"I'm here to pick you up for our date, Miss DiLaurentis," Emily said with a coy smile.

Alison didn't care that the other woman was being cheesy. She was thrilled that Emily was putting in so much effort. She wasn't sure what the occasion was, but she wasn't going to argue with it either.

"So, this is the reason you are a little late," Alison said as turned to take the flowers into their home.

"Yeah, I ordered them several days ago, but they still weren't ready when I got there. I think the florist forgot about me." Emily said with a good-natured laugh.

"Either way, they are gorgeous. Thank you so much, Emily." Alison said as she backtracked into the house to rummage under the kitchen cabinets.

"They even match your dress," Emily commented, raking her eyes over Alison's colorful, flower print dress.

The smiling blonde emerged with a clear vase and arranged the flowers. Once they were filled with water and left on the kitchen table, Alison turned to the brunette and smiled. "Ready to go?"

"Always," Emily said as she extended her arm for her date to take.

~X~X~X~X~X

Their dinner date had gone smoother than Emily expected. Unlike with the florist, Emily and Alison didn't have to wait for their table. She made a reservation a few weeks in advanced and she was pleased that they hadn't forgotten about her. The moment they arrived, the two women were shown to their seats and brought a bottle of wine while they looked over the menu.

"So, are you ever going to tell me what the occasion is?" Alison asked as she eyed the brunette over her wine glass.

"There is no occasion. I just wanted to take my girlfriend out on a date. I wanted to show you how much I appreciate and love you." Emily replied with a shy smile.

Alison returned the smile, only hers was much wider. She then reached across the table and took Emily's hand. "I love you so much, Emily."

"I'll always love you." The tanned woman easily replied.

The rest of their date went just as smoothly. Emily said all the right things to make Alison blush and she felt like she was falling in love all over again. In a way, she was. Alison never stopped loving Emily, but the girl she had fallen in love with all those years ago had matured into a woman. A wonderful, beautiful woman. Alison had been learning all the things about Emily that had changed and she was falling in love with every one of them while remaining in love with the things that had stayed the same.

Emily was also falling in love with all the slight changes that had occurred in Alison. However, the most important aspects of the blonde had remained the same. Like her kind and forgiving heart. Emily had always admired Alison for how big and open her heart was. If it wasn't for that, Emily was sure their relationship would have been doomed from the start because there were several times she royally messed up, but Alison had forgiven her. It made Emily feel as though they really were meant to be together forever. That they truly were soul mates.

After dinner, the two remained at their table for another hour, simply talking and enjoying each other's company. Emily was also waiting for her second glass of wine to wear off so that she could safely drive, but Alison seemed to be in no rush. The blonde was all smiles as her girlfriend asked about her day and told her about the group of kids she coached that morning.

"And this one kid, she couldn't have been older than three. She was the cutest thing. Her older brother was in the pool and he was swimming lap after lap. He kept taunting her as he would pass, and she was getting so angry. She wanted to catch him, but he told her she couldn't because 'dumb babies can't swim.' " Emily said with a shake of her head.

"Then what happened?" Alison asked, completely enthralled with the story.

"She pushed out of her mother's arms and she took off after him. Her mother swam after her, in case she went under, but that little girl did not stop until she caught her brother. Of course, she pulled his hair when she found him, but I was so proud of her. She didn't even realize she was swimming. She was just so determined to catch him." Emily said with a fond smile.

"I bet she was adorable," Alison said with a soft smile.

"She really was. You should come by sometime and watch the youngest group. They are something else."

"I would love to come watch you teach babies to swim," Alison said with a loving sigh.

"Technically they're toddlers, but still. So little and so cute." Emily said with a smile to match Alison's.

"When did you become so fond of children?" Alison asked as she watched Emily gathering her belongings, finally deeming herself ready to drive.

"I guess I started enjoying them a little more once I took this job. After working with them for several days a week, they kind of grow on you."

"I guess that is true. I hope middle schoolers grow on me. They were never my favorite. They are just so dramatic." Alison said with a chuckle.

"You like little kids, though. Why didn't you want to teach at an elementary school?" Emily questioned.

"I like the kids, but I don't like the idea of teaching them to read. I am not that patient. Depending on the school I am at, I can teach anywhere from four to six classes a day. That leaves me to read the same stories over and over again. I can handle that when I am reading novels I actually enjoy, but I cannot read children books that many times. I will go insane." Alison finished with a laugh earning an understanding nod from the tanned woman who was currently getting up from her seat.

"Ready to go, love?" Emily asked as she extended her hand for Alison to take.

"As long as I'm with you, I am ready for anything," Alison said as she followed the other woman out into the parking lot.

After a short and relatively quiet drive, they arrived home. Emily was quick to run to Alison's side of the car, opening the door and extending her arm once again.

"I thought the date was over, yet you are still trying to romance me." Alison teased, though she loved every second of their evening.

"Our night is just getting started," Emily said, completely confusing the shorter woman.

Alison didn't question it as she was brought into their home, only it was slightly different than they had left it. Stray candles littered the living room and the hallway leading to their bedroom. There was a mixture of real candles, with a scent that created a relaxing vibe, and some electronic candles that were only used to help create the ambiance. It was very much a reminder of a special night the two shared together many years ago. It was on that night that Emily became the first person Alison had slept with. With the help of Spencer, the two shared a romantic rooftop date with candles scattered everywhere, very similar to the scene that was currently unfolding.

"Em, this is amazing. Who did this for you? I know it wasn't Spencer this time." Alison asked as she stared at the coach in amazement.

"I shall never reveal my secrets. But this wasn't for me. This is all for you." Emily softly explained before shyly nibbling her bottom lip.

"What if the cats knocked over the candles?" Alison teased.

"They're safe inside the guest room," Emily stated with a playful eye roll.

"If you're trying to make me fall even more in love, I'd say it's working," Alison admitted as she walked around the room before turning to Emily and speaking once more.

"I know there is a special occasion for all of this. Are you ever going to explain it to me?" She questioned as she approached her girlfriend.

"I know your divorce hasn't been finalized for long and this may be too soon for you." Emily took a deep breath before continuing.

"But I have to do this. I have to prove something to you and to myself as well. I don't want there to be any doubt in your mind about us."

Alison looked confused while waiting for Emily to continue.

"I know what it is like to live life with you. I also know what it is like to live without you. Those are my two options, and I will do anything to ensure that I never have to live without you again. Even if that means doing things that frighten me. I made a huge mistake when we were younger. I was selfish, stubborn, and immature. I wasn't good enough for you, even though you will never admit that. I wasn't good enough because I let my fear and my stubbornness get in the way of the best thing that ever happened to me. I was opposed to getting married because I felt like a piece of paper shouldn't solidify our relationship."

Emily stared at Alison with sad eyes but continued speaking.

"Do you remember the person I was before we started dating?" Emily asked though she knew good and well that Alison would never forget.

The blonde nodded, and Emily continued, "I had seen so many people in my life fall in love and how happy they were. I wanted to feel that as well and I ended up looking for it in all the wrong places. Next thing I knew, I was sleeping with different women in hopes that I might feel something for them, but I never did. It was confusing. I thought I was broken because I had encountered some beautiful women, who were great people, but I never felt anything for them. Eventually, it got to the point that I didn't even try to feel anything for them because I just knew it wouldn't happen."

Alison grimaced at the mention of the swimmer sleeping with women she considered to be beautiful and Emily's expression was apologetic before she finished explaining.

"I knew I would never feel anything for men because I held zero attraction for them, but I was definitely attracted to women. I just didn't understand why I wasn't able to feel anything for anyone. So, I had accepted the fact that marriage and children would be off the table for me. I accepted it to the point that I convinced myself that I didn't want it. That I was better off and would be happier without it. Even after you and I started dating, it still stuck with me. I didn't even realize it because I was too caught up in the fact that I found true love after all. That I was finally able to have feelings for someone, which was something I never thought I could have."

Emily paused and licked her lips before speaking again.

"I guess a part of old Emily was still lurking around inside of me because I couldn't even consider marrying you. I wanted us to stay together but I didn't want the wedding and everything that comes with a marriage. I just wanted us. Exactly as we were. At that time, I couldn't even consider the fact that I might change my mind one day. That I may genuinely want to have a wedding and some tiny little Emilys and Alisons. I couldn't consider it because I honestly had myself convinced that I would never get to have that. It hurt a lot less once I made myself believe that I didn't want it. It was dramatic of me, now that I am looking back because I was so young, and I had plenty of time left to find love. . . But it happened, and I am still trying to make up for the mess that I caused."

Alison remained silent as she watched Emily continue with her speech.

"I was also opposed to children because I was afraid to even think about being in charge of someone else's life. There are so many awful things that happen every single day and the thought of having a child and something bad happening, that was terrifying. Even with your help, it still frightens me. I had thought about kids before you mentioned it, though I never told you. I thought about having a family with you, and while the big picture was beautiful and perfect, I was still afraid of all the details. Of all the things that could go wrong, so I decided I didn't want children. I wouldn't have to face that fear if I never had them."

Finally, Alison was able to see into Emily's mind. To understand and realize exactly what had driven their relationship apart. She bit her lip as Emily finished up.

"I was too stubborn to admit that I was afraid. Things got heated between us and I was completely stupid to let you walk away. I should have been willing to face my fears with you because losing you is so much scarier than the thought of marrying you and having children. Losing you is the worst thing that has ever and could ever happen to me, Ali. I won't let that happen again. So, I am asking you, when you are ready, will you marry me and start a family together? I already told you I would do these things, but I want you to know I am serious. I want you to know that I am not just doing it to make you happy, but I am doing it to make myself happy as well. I want all of these things with you."

Alison felt herself becoming emotional, but she fought to keep herself together while Emily approached and placed her hands on the blonde's hips. "Alison, will you marry me?"

Alison didn't care that she was freshly divorced, she wasn't going to say no when Emily was finally giving her everything she could have ever wanted. She kissed the brunette and wrapped her arms around the taller woman's toned shoulders. They kissed and kissed until they were breathless. Emily knew Alison didn't need to verbalize her answer. That was all the response she would ever need, but the blonde still pulled away and softly chuckled out a "Yes" before kissing her fiancée once more.

When they finally parted, Emily stared at the blonde with pure adoration in her eyes. "Is it too soon for me to get you a ring?"

Alison scoffed, "You should have gotten it yesterday."

Emily sheepishly smiled. "I didn't want to push things too far too soon."

"Emily, you and I should have gotten married years ago. There is no 'too soon' when it comes to us. I am ready to build a life with you right now. I don't want to take things slowly. We are already behind schedule." The blonde huffed with fake annoyance.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize our relationship was on a schedule." Emily teased.

"It is now. We have lost time to account for and I plan to make up for every second I had to endure without you." Alison said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Emily gulped as the blonde began to walk backward in the direction of their bedroom, never once breaking eye contact, while careful to avoid the candles.

"Aren't you coming?" Alison asked as she began unzipping her dress.

Emily stood motionless while her brain finally caught up to the situation at hand. She smiled before advancing in Alison's direction, only to have the blonde turn and run toward their room. Emily laughed as she chased her fiancée, only to be hit in the chest by Alison's discarded dress. This was the life that Emily had deprived herself of for years. While she would always regret being stubborn, selfish, and immature, she wouldn't change a thing about where she was currently at in life. She had a beautiful fiancée, a job she loved, and the promise of a happy and fulfilling future. She felt crazy to have ever been afraid of this life because it was absolutely and completely perfect.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Epilogue**_

Half a year had passed since Emily had proposed to Alison. In that time, the brunette had picked out a gorgeous engagement ring for the blonde. She spent weeks searching for the perfect ring, but when she found it, she knew it was the one, much like Alison. The blonde adored it, never even taking it off to shower, which made Emily swell with pride. She was thrilled that she could make Alison completely happy and satisfied.

Alison had gotten Emily a ring as well. She didn't spend weeks searching for one. Instead, she called Hanna and the two passed a few ideas back and forth as they had Emily's ring custom made. It turned out perfect and Emily adored the piece of jewelry. The teacher knew her fiancée very well because it didn't have a huge flashy diamond. Emily wouldn't have liked that at all. Instead, it had smaller stones set on a white gold band with a tiny sliver of yellow gold around the edges. Emily took her ring of just as much as Alison did, which was hardly ever.

The two had easily settled into their home life and Alison was thankful that her new job had finally started. She expected to hate the job because middle school-aged children were not her favorite. However, Alison didn't hate the job after all, but she would definitely be going back to high school the moment she was given the opportunity.

One evening, Alison was sitting in bed grading papers while the brunette was washing their dinner dishes. She tried to help Emily, but the taller woman insisted on finishing up. Emily spoiled Alison every chance she got, and the teacher wasn't complaining one bit. When Emily did finish cleaning, she entered their bedroom and watched her fiancée work for a moment before she interrupted.

"So, I was thinking," Emily began, "about having a baby."

Alison looked up from her papers and stared at her fiancée. Her features were frozen, which made Emily immediately regret approaching the subject. She had put a lot of thought into it before bringing it up to the other woman and she had honestly thought that Alison would like the idea.

"Em, I would love to have a baby with you." Alison began.

"But?" Emily questioned.

"But I still feel like it is too soon after I lost the last baby. I know that it was over a year ago and emotionally I am ready for it, but I don't know. I am just too nervous to go through that again. Aside from the heartbreak, it took my body forever to bounce back from that."

Emily knew it was a possibility that Alison wouldn't be ok with getting pregnant again only a year after she miscarried, which is why she had another idea entirely.

"I wasn't suggesting that you get pregnant," Emily said with a smile as she crawled onto the bed with the blonde.

"You want to adopt? I would be ok with that." Alison said, but Emily's amusement only heightened.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Alison asked with a smile.

"Because you won't even consider the fact that I could be offering to get pregnant and carry our first child."

Alison's face fell for a moment before lighting up. "Em, are you serious? I just didn't think that would be something you would ever be willing to do. Especially because you have to be so physical at your job."

"I am perfectly willing to get pregnant. I told you, I have grown up. I have changed from the person I used to be. I am serious about wanting to build a life and a family with you... And I would like to get started on that."

Alison climbed on top of Emily's lap and peppered her face with kisses. "Seriously?"

Emily chuckled before responding. "Yes, seriously. And as for my job, all the movement and being physical will only help the baby. It is good for a pregnant woman to be active. I just won't be too great at being a lifeguard once I have a beach ball under my swimsuit."

Alison laughed as she pictured Emily in her third trimester while wearing a swimsuit. "I love you, Emily Fields."

"I love you too," Emily said with a small laugh while Alison continued kissing her cheek.

"Are you sure this is something you want?" Alison asked once more, wanting to be completely sure that Emily wasn't doing this only to please her. She never wanted Emily to look back and regret their family or their marriage.

"I am positive that I want to have a baby with you," Emily assured.

"Then we need to hurry up with this wedding!" Alison exclaimed.

"What is the big deal if the baby comes to the wedding?" Emily teased, earning a glare from Alison.

"We are getting married before we have this baby, Emily Fields." Alison scolded.

"Lots of people get married after they have children." Emily teased further, knowing that Alison would never change her mind.

"And that is fine. As long as they are happy. But I am going to marry you and THEN we will have this baby." Alison firmly stated, causing Emily to laugh.

"So," Alison began. "would we be going to a sperm bank? I'll assume you have put some thought into this?"

"I have an idea but there are three other people that have to be on board with it first." Alison arched an eyebrow as Emily spoke.

"I was thinking that we could ask Toby to be the donor. We were all so close once he and Spencer started dating. Even through college, we never grew apart. He is family and I would be comfortable with the idea if everyone else would be. At least this way we would know his family's medical history. That would definitely put my mind at ease." Emily explained while Alison remained silent.

"That is a lot to ask of someone." Alison softly spoke as she blankly stared at her fiancée.

"I know it is, which is why I wouldn't be offended if he said no. Or even if Spencer said she wasn't ok with it. If that happens, then we can resort to plan B, which will be perfectly fine."

"Plan B is a sperm bank?" Alison asked, making sure Emily didn't have any other ideas that would catch her off guard.

"Yes, then we can pick out a nice, healthy, blue-eyed blonde," Emily said as she twirled one of Alison's golden curls around her finger.

"I would be ok with Toby being the donor." Alison breathed out with a soft smile.

"Yeah?" Emily questioned.

"Sure, I mean, it isn't like he would really be the father. He would be a sperm donor just like any other male would be. He wouldn't have any legal ties to the child and you know that Toby would never try to overstep any boundaries. It may be a bit weird to him at first, knowing that biologically he does have a child somewhere that he doesn't get to have that bond with. But he can still be cool uncle Toby. So yeah, I would be ok with it." Alison said as she rested her forehead against Emily's.

"Great, I will call them tomorrow. They will have plenty of time to decide, seeing as we can't do it until after the wedding." Emily teased with a smile.

"Then I will just have to call Hanna and Mona tomorrow and tell her we are going to speed up our wedding planning."

"I still can't believe that Mona Vanderwaal is our main wedding planner," Emily said with a chuckle.

"I know," Alison exclaimed. "We were pretty close in high school, and even though we drifted apart after graduation she was still thrilled to hear from me. It's hard to believe that she is THE wedding planner in New York City."

"I'm just surprised she was willing to plan a wedding to be held in Rosewood, seeing as New York is a lot more glamorous," Emily said while poking her tongue out.

"Trust me, she is only doing that as a favor for an old friend. She wouldn't be caught dead in Rosewood for any other reason." Alison added with a smile. "That, and she was excited to be given an invitation. Since she was unable to make it to my first wedding, she said there was no way she was missing this one."

"So, you will call Hanna and Mona and put a rush on our wedding and I will call Spencer and Toby and ask him to be our 'baby daddy'," Emily said with a cheeky grin causing Alison to lightly push her arm.

"No one will ever answer our calls after this!" Alison exclaimed with fake exasperation.

"Yeah, they will call us the needy lesbians and avoid us at all costs," Emily added with wide eyes.

Alison laughed as she crawled off Emily's lap and put her stack of papers on the nightstand. "Come on, let's get some sleep. We will need all the rest we can get if we are going to spring all this information on our friends."

"The only person we aren't cornering tomorrow is Aria. Let's think of something so she doesn't feel left out." Emily said as she pulled the blankets back.

Alison rolled her eyes with a smile as she turned off the bedside lamp and got comfortable in bed with her soon to be wife.

"I think we better hold off on bothering Aria," Alison said with a soft laugh. "We will play that card when we really need it."

"Good thinking. That's why I keep you around." Emily said as she wrapped an arm around Alison's stomach and placed a lingering kiss to the side of her neck.

"Is that the only reason you keep me around?" Alison teased as she laced her fingers through Emily's.

"There are a few other reasons," Emily replied with a smirk before placing a few more kisses to the blonde's exposed neck.

"Em, if you keep doing that I don't think we will get much sleep tonight." Alison breathed out after clearing her throat.

"It's not like either of us has to be at work tomorrow." Emily teased as she gently scraped her teeth against Alison's neck. "Besides, you just agreed to make a baby with me. It's probably best if we get started on it right away."

Alison briefly laughed which then turned into a soft moan when she felt Emily's tongue gliding over her shoulder.

"I don't have the proper equipment to get you pregnant, Em." Alison halfheartedly argued.

"Doesn't mean we can't try. That's the best part, after all."

 _ **The End**_

 **Thanks to everyone who read this story and stuck with me to the end. You are the reason I enjoy writing. I can't give you a time estimate on the third installment, but it will come. Since it will be a series of flashbacks, time jumps, and one-shots, feel free to suggest anything you want to read about, like certain events. Anyway, thanks again and I can't wait to get started on the new story.**


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